NASA's Artemis II mission to the moon just began its last journey on Earth

"NASA's Artemis II began its final journey on Earth Saturday. The fully stacked Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., a milestone for the first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years."

""This is the start of a very long journey," NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said at a press conference on Sunday. From the gigantic shed it has called home, Artemis II will take a leisurely pace of one mile an hour to make the four-mile trip to Launch Pad 39B, a journey that will take approximately eight to 10 days."

"On Friday, NASA officials laid out the series of tests and checks Artemis II will need to complete before it is cleared for takeoff, including the critical wet dress rehearsal. That involves pumping the rocket full of cryogenic propellant and practicing the countdown sequence as if it were about to launchtesting the rocket's limits without humans onboard."

The fully stacked Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule moved out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center for a four-mile rollout to Launch Pad 39B. The vehicle will travel at roughly one mile per hour and the move is expected to take about eight to ten days. Prelaunch activities include a series of tests and a wet dress rehearsal that pumps cryogenic propellant and practices a full countdown without crew. The mission is targeting a launch no earlier than February 6. Artemis II will carry four astronauts and will test readiness for returning humans to the lunar surface without landing.

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