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As preparations for NASA’s Artemis II mission accelerate, the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft were carefully transported from their assembly building to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center on Saturday. this critical milestone marks a important step towards the program’s goal of returning humans to lunar orbit for the first time since the Apollo era, and demonstrates renewed focus on establishing a lasting human presence beyond earth. The mission’s crew, including Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, are now steadily moving toward a launch window beginning February 6th.
NASA began moving the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft Saturday morning, a critical step in preparations for the Artemis II mission to the Moon. The mission represents a major milestone in the agency’s efforts to return humans to lunar orbit for the first time in decades, and to establish a sustained presence there.
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The move from the rocket’s assembly building to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida was broadcast live on NASA’s YouTube channel and took several hours to complete.
The Canadian Space Agency in Longueuil is closely following the operation, as Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen is slated to be a member of the Artemis II crew.
“Flying humans around the far side of the Moon is good for humanity,” Hansen stated during a press conference Saturday morning at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He was speaking alongside the other members of the Artemis II crew.
PHOTO JOE SKIPPER, REUTERS
The rocket departs its assembly building.
Joining Hansen on the Artemis II mission are NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch. The crew is preparing for the first crewed lunar mission since 1972, the final flight of the Apollo program.
NASA has identified several launch windows, ranging in duration of approximately two hours, beginning February 6th and extending through the end of April.
This mission will mark the first spaceflight for Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
PHOTO JOHN RAOUX, ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Artemis II NASA crew – Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Commander Reid Wiseman – at Kennedy Space Center.
Hansen, 49, is originally from London, Ontario. If the mission proceeds as planned, he will become the first non-American to travel beyond low Earth orbit.
The Orion spacecraft will carry the four-person crew on a roughly ten-day journey around the Moon before returning to Earth.
The preceding Artemis I mission was uncrewed and faced three delays due to technical issues and inclement weather before successfully launching in November 2022 for a 25-day flight.
