NASA Rolls 11-Million-Pound Moon Rocket to Launch Pad

Fifty-three years after we last sent humans toward the moon, NASA is wheeling out the rocket that will take us back.

Starting Saturday morning, technicians will slowly transport the 11-million-pound Artemis 2 rocket from its assembly building to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The giant stack, moving at just 1 mph, will take up to 12 hours to crawl along its 4-mile journey.

You can watch the entire rollout live on NASA's YouTube channel. It's not every day you see the most powerful rocket ever built inching its way to the launchpad.

The Artemis 2 mission will carry four astronauts on a 10-day flight around the moon and back to Earth. This February launch represents humanity's first crewed lunar mission since 1972, when the Apollo program ended.

The Space Launch System rocket stands 212 feet tall and generates a staggering 8.8 million pounds of thrust. That power comes from more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellant, which NASA will test during a wet dress rehearsal at the end of January.

Why This Inspires

This mission isn't just about getting back to the moon. It's about proving we can do it again, and this time, stay there.

Artemis 2 will test all the systems needed for Artemis 3, planned for 2028, which aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface. These missions are building the foundation for a permanent human presence beyond Earth.

"We are moving closer to Artemis II, with rollout just around the corner," said Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. "Crew safety will remain our top priority at every turn, as we near humanity's return to the Moon."

The mission has faced delays, launching 15 months later than originally scheduled to ensure the Orion capsule can safely carry its human crew. NASA says the extra prep time was necessary and won't affect the overall timeline.

If everything goes according to plan during the wet dress rehearsal and flight-readiness review, we could see four humans heading to the moon as early as next month.

After half a century of waiting, we're finally going back.