The POT began the deployment on Saturday of its imposing SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft at the beginning of preparations for its first manned mission to the Moon in more than 50 years.
The maneuver, which can last up to 12 hours, will allow the US space agency to begin a series of tests for the Artemis mission 2which could take off on February 6 as the earliest date.
The immense Space Launch System rocketorange and white, and the Orion spacecraft were slowly removed from the vehicle assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and carefully moved 6.5 kilometers to Launch Pad 39B.
If all tests are successful, three Americans and one Canadian will head to the Moon sometime between February 6 and the end of April; They will not land, but will fly around the Earth satellite.
The mission — which would last about 10 days — would be a huge step toward the goal of getting Americans back on the lunar surface, a goal announced by President Donald Trump in his first term.
Before the mission can take off, engineers must ensure that the SLS rocket is safe and viable.
The Artemis 1 unmanned mission took place in November 2022 after multiple postponements and two failed launch attempts.
NASA hopes to return humans to the Moon as China moves forward with a rival effort that aims, no later than 2030, for its first crewed mission.
