tech
Nasa moon rocket creeps to its launchpad in preparation for astronaut flight
First journey around moon with astronauts in more than 50 years could blast off in February
TL;DR
- NASA's giant new moon rocket, the SLS, has moved to the launchpad for a crewed lunar fly-around.
- The mission could blast off in February, marking the first human trip to the moon in over 50 years.
- The 98-meter rocket weighs 5 million kg and was transported from the vehicle assembly building.
- Four astronauts are assigned to the 10-day mission: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen.
- This flight follows an uncrewed test flight in November 2022, with previous capsule issues now resolved.
- NASA is preparing for a fueling test in early February before confirming a launch date.
- The last humans to fly to the moon were Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt in 1972 during the Apollo 17 mission.