NASA Rolls Artemis 2 Rocket to Pad for Moon Launch

A towering symbol of humanity's return to the moon has reached its launching point, and the countdown to history is officially on.

NASA's Artemis 2 rocket arrived at Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center on Friday evening after an 11-hour crawl from its assembly building. The Space Launch System rocket, standing as tall as a 32-story building, will soon carry four astronauts on a journey around the moon scheduled for as early as February 6.

The rocket began moving at 7:04 a.m. EST, traveling just four miles at about one mile per hour. The glacial pace was necessary to keep the 11 million pound stack stable on its journey.

Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen will become the first humans to venture beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. Glover will be the first person of color to travel to the moon, while Koch will be the first woman.

The same launch pad once sent Apollo 10 astronauts on their dress rehearsal for the moon landing in 1969. Now it will host the first crewed test of NASA's new lunar exploration program.

Why This Inspires

This mission represents more than a technical achievement. It shows what happens when thousands of people work together toward something bigger than themselves.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman took time during the rollout to thank the vast team behind the scenes. Engineers, technicians, and specialists have spent years preparing this moment, transforming blueprints and dreams into gleaming reality.

In the coming days, teams will practice fueling the rocket with super-cold propellants and run through countdown procedures. A "wet dress rehearsal" on February 2 will test every critical system before the crew boards for real.

The mission will last about 10 days, taking the astronauts farther from Earth than any human has traveled in over half a century. They won't land on the lunar surface, but they'll pave the way for Artemis 3, which plans to put boots back on the moon.

Every test, every procedure, and every careful step brings us closer to expanding human presence beyond our home planet.

The future of space exploration is sitting on a Florida launch pad, and it's almost ready to fly.