NASA returns moon mission rocket, spacecraft back to launch pad
Mar 21, 2026
Los Angeles [California], March 21: NASA on Friday returned its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft for its upcoming Artemis II crewed lunar mission to the launch pad at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in the U.S. state of Florida.
The integrated SLS and Orion traveled about 4 miles (around 6.4 kilometers) from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the space center, departing at 12:20 a.m. Eastern Time and arriving at the launch pad at 11:21 a.m., completing an 11-hour journey.
NASA teams are now preparing for the final stage of prelaunch activities ahead of a launch window opening April 1, which extends through April 6.
Following a wet dress rehearsal on Feb. 21, teams identified an issue preventing helium from flowing to the rocket's upper stage. The rocket and spacecraft were returned to the VAB for repairs.
While there, engineers also refreshed and retested multiple systems on the rocket, including activating new flight termination system batteries, replacing batteries on the upper stage, core stage, and solid rocket boosters, and charging Orion's launch abort system batteries.
Engineers also replaced a seal on the core stage liquid oxygen feed line and reassembled and retested the oxygen tail service mast umbilical plate to ensure a tight seal, according to NASA.
The Artemis II mission will send four astronauts on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon and back. The crew consists of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
