NASA’s Artemis II mission to the moon is inching toward the launch pad

At one mile per hour, NASA's massive Artemis II rocket began its crawling four-mile journey to the launch pad Saturday, marking a pivotal moment for humanity's return to lunar exploration after more than half a century. The towering Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule rolled out of Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, beginning an eight to ten-day trek that NASA administrator Jared Isaacman called "the start of a very long journey."

Four astronauts will soon loop around the moon without landing, venturing farther into space than any human before them. The mission serves as a crucial test run for Artemis III, which aims to actually touch down on the lunar surface as NASA works toward establishing a permanent moon base.

Before launch, targeted for no earlier than February 6, the rocket must endure rigorous testing including the "wet dress rehearsal" where it gets pumped full of cryogenic fuel for a practice countdown. Astronaut Reid Wiseman expressed confidence at a recent press conference: "We really are ready to go."