NASA / Ben Smegelsky
At 10:47 AM, Eastern Time (7:47 AM, Pacific Time) today, the mobile launcher carrying NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) Moon rocket was officially 'hard down' on its pedestals at Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) Launch Complex 39B in Florida. This milestone took place more than 10 hours after SLS began its journey from KSC's Vehicle Assembly Building...a process that started a few minutes after midnight (Eastern Time) this morning.
Over the next 10 days or so, preparations will be done at Pad 39B to get SLS ready for its next wet dress rehearsal (WDR) attempt. A 'call to stations' by the Artemis 1 launch team will take place at KSC's Launch Control Center on June 17, SLS and the Orion spacecraft will be powered up the following day, and the WDR will commence on June 19.
700,000-plus gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen fuel will be loaded into SLS for the test.
If the WDR and terminal countdown demonstration test are successful, then NASA will finally select a launch date for Artemis 1 about a week later. Artemis 1 is currently scheduled to lift off and head to the Moon sometime in August.
NASA / Ben Smegelsky
NASA / Ben Smegelsky
NASA / Ben Smegelsky
NASA / Ben Smegelsky
NASA / Ben Smegelsky
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