In a recent development, NASA announced that they had begun preparations for the Artemis 1 mission. The space agency confirmed that the rollout of the integrated Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft to Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, US, was underway ahead of launch. The same will happen on March 17th.
Upcoming: debut of the #Artemis I mega Moon rocket. Teams plan to roll the stacked @NASA_SLS rocket ship & @NASA_Orion spacecraft to the launch pad for testing on March 17.
A media telecon on March 14 will reveal whether the teams will continue with the trek: pic.twitter.com/3Am6BW6zvr
— NASA (@NASA) March 10, 2022
On the trail, NASA will conduct a final prelaunch test known as a wet dress rehearsal, which will include loading the SLS propellant tanks and performing a launch countdown. The rollout includes a 4-mile journey between the Vehicle Assembly Building and the launch pad, which is expected to take between six and 12 hours.
Artemis 1 mission
Artemis 1 (officially Artemis I) is a planned unmanned test flight for NASA’s Artemis program. It is the maiden flight of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) super-heavy launch vehicle and the maiden flight of the Orion MPCV. Formerly known as Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), the mission was renamed after the introduction of the Artemis program. The mission will certify the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System launch vehicle for manned flight, beginning with the second flight test of the Orion and Space Launch System, Artemis 2.