Photos: SLS moon rocket rolls to launch pad

NASA’s first Space Launch System moon rocket arrived on pad 39B early Aug. 17 after an overnight rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The 4.2-mile (6.8-kilometer) rollout moved the 322-foot-tall (98-meter) rocket into position for its inaugural test launch no earlier than Aug. 29. The mission, named Artemis 1, will boost NASA’s Orion crew capsule on a journey to orbit the moon, paving the way for future flights with astronauts.

The unpiloted Artemis 1 mission will last 42 days, assuming the rocket takes off Aug. 29. The rocket is the most powerful ever built by NASA, with 8.8 million pounds of thrust generated by its four core stage engines and two sold rocket boosters.

These photos show the Artemis 1 moon rocket riding NASA’s diesel-powered crawler-transporter from the VAB to Launch Complex 39B.

The combined stack of the crawler, the SLS moon rocket, and its mobile launch platform weighed about 21.4 million pounds. Read our earlier story for details on the rollout.

Credit: Michael Cain / Spaceflight Now / Coldlife Photography

Credit: Alex Polimeni / Spaceflight Now

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