NASA's new moon rocket moves to the pad ahead of astronaut launch as early as February

"Thousands of space center workers and their families gathered in the predawn chill to witness the long-awaited event, delayed for years. They huddled together ahead of the Space Launch System rocket's exit from the building, built in the 1960s to accommodate the Saturn V rockets that sent 24 astronauts to the moon during the Apollo program. The cheering crowd was led by NASA's new administrator Jared Isaacman and all four astronauts assigned to the mission."

"Weighing in at 11 million pounds (5 million kilograms), the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule on top made the move aboard a massive transporter that was used during the Apollo and shuttle eras. It was upgraded for the SLS rocket's extra heft. The first and only other SLS launch - which sent an empty Orion capsule into orbit around the moon - took place back in November 2022."

NASA's Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule moved from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad in preparation for a crewed lunar fly-around possibly launching as soon as February. The 322-foot rocket completed a 4-mile, slow-speed transfer witnessed by thousands, including NASA leadership and the four assigned astronauts. The stack weighs about 11 million pounds and rode an upgraded historic transporter. Earlier SLS testing in 2022 exposed heat shield and capsule issues that required extensive analysis and delays. The Artemis II crew will not orbit or land on the moon; a crewed landing is planned for Artemis III in a later flight.

Read at ABC7 Los Angeles