Artemis II rocket reaches launch pad as NASA prepares for historic moon mission

NASA’s Artemis II rocket has arrived at Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking a significant milestone in preparation for its groundbreaking mission. Engineers meticulously transported the nearly 100-meter-tall Space Launch System rocket from the Vehicle Assembly Building over the weekend, a journey of approximately 6.5 kilometers that took around 12 hours. This operation used NASA’s crawler-transporter, a vehicle that has been facilitating rocket movements to launch pads for over five decades.

Once fully fueled, the Space Launch System will weigh about 2.6 million kilograms. Atop the rocket is the Orion spacecraft, which features logos from both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). Orion is set to carry a team of four astronauts on a 10-day mission that will see them orbiting the Moon. Artemis II represents the first crewed flight of the Artemis program and the first human expedition toward the Moon in more than half a century.

An important component of this mission is the European Service Module, developed through collaboration among industries from over ten European countries. This module will supply vital resources such as electricity, air, and water to the crew, while also executing essential propulsion maneuvers, including the significant trans-lunar injection that will propel Orion on its path to the Moon.

European engineers will be actively monitoring mission operations from the ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands, coordinating closely with teams at NASA’s Mission Evaluation Room in Houston, Texas.

The European Service Module’s main engine carries an interesting history, having been used on six Space Shuttle missions between 2000 and 2002. After undergoing refurbishment and testing following two decades of storage, it was installed on the second European Service Module at Airbus in Bremen, Germany, ready to take on its new role in advancing deep-space exploration.

Looking ahead, the next key event in the Artemis II timeline is the wet dress rehearsal, designed to simulate the fueling of the rocket and practice the launch countdown, bringing the mission closer to its anticipated launch.