NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket: Rollout Preparations | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket: Rollout Preparations | Kennedy Space Center

Work platforms are retracted from NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, secured to the mobile launcher, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) as preparations continue for roll out to Launch Pad 39B, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis II flight test will take Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), around the Moon and back to Earth no later than April 2026. 

NASA is targeting no earlier than Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, to begin the multi-hour trek from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Launch Pad 39B. The four-mile journey on the crawler-transporter-2, at a careful speed of roughly 1 mile per hour, will take up to 12 hours. The massive crawler keeps the mobile launcher and rocket perfectly level throughout the trip, even on the gentle slopes of the crawlerway. Once at the pad, the stack will be secured, ground support systems will be connected, and teams will conduct a full wet dress rehearsal at the end of January to practice fueling and countdown procedures in preparation for flight.

Teams are working around the clock to close out all tasks ahead of rollout. However, this target date is subject to change if additional time is needed for technical preparations or weather.

Launch is currently scheduled for "no later than April 2026."

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Follow updates on the Artemis blog: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Image Credit: NASA/Keegan Barber

Date: Jan. 15, 2026

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