NASA's new moon rocket heads to the launch pad
AP News • • science
Key Points:
- NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, standing 322 feet tall, was moved to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in preparation for the first crewed lunar fly-around mission in over 50 years, potentially launching as early as February.
- The rocket, weighing 11 million pounds and carrying the Orion crew capsule, began a slow four-mile journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building, witnessed by thousands including NASA’s administrator Jared Isaacman and the four assigned astronauts.
- This mission marks the first crewed flight of the SLS rocket following its initial uncrewed test flight in November 2022, which revealed heat shield damage and other issues that delayed the crewed launch.
- The 10-day mission will
