The Space Launch System Will Return to KSC's Pad 39B Two Days Ahead of Schedule!

NASA

Artemis I Moon Rocket Ready to Roll to the Launch Pad (News Release)

Engineers and technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida have completed the final testing and checkouts of the Artemis I Moon rocket ahead of rolling to Launch Complex 39B. NASA is targeting as soon as 9 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, August 16 for rollout ahead of a targeted August 29 launch.

The crawler-transporter rolled inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and under the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft earlier today. Teams are currently working to prepare the integrated stack for rollout.

Over the weekend the team completed testing of the flight termination system, which marked the final major activity prior to closing out the rocket and retracting the final access platforms in the VAB.

The agency will provide a live stream of the rollout beginning at 3 p.m. EDT Tuesday, August 16 on the NASA Kennedy YouTube channel.

Source: NASA.Gov

****

The @NASA Crawler Transporter 2 is headed to the VAB; to prepare for the rollout of #Artemis I, now scheduled for TOMORROW! #WeAreGoing pic.twitter.com/bYZheKnjyN

— Sean (@planetdeimos) August 15, 2022

Crawler-transporter 2 on the move this morning to High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at @NASAKennedy. The mammoth vehicle will soon roll into the High Bay and take its place under @NASA_SLS & @NASA_Orion for tomorrow's move to Launch Pad 39B. Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/laHtITNQ0r

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) August 15, 2022

Crawler-transporter 2 has just arrived in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building gate! pic.twitter.com/PhojsRjxFn

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) August 15, 2022

High-speed time lapse of the crawler-transporter 2 approaching High Bay 3 just now. In just a bit we will be offering a short live presentation of the roll into the Vehicle Assembly Building on Facebook at https://t.co/toAgAIB9cv pic.twitter.com/SIGIIrHB6j

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) August 15, 2022

Photos of crawler-transporter 2 from today's roll to the Vehicle Assembly Building document the first move towards the launch of Artemis I, targeted for Aug. 29. The launch will mark the beginning of humanity's return to the Moon.
Photos: NASA/Sean Cannon pic.twitter.com/qbhmJ3p8IS

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) August 15, 2022

Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, @NASA's Artemis I Launch Director, has officially given the 'go' to proceed with roll to the pad.
Tomorrow, teams will roll @NASA_SLS and @NASA_Orion to Launch Pad 39B where Charlie will oversee the launch on Aug. 29. pic.twitter.com/3NVth3zxlH

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) August 15, 2022