Nauka

January 17, 2026, 7:50 PM EST. NASA's giant Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is set to crawl from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, Jan. 17, for Artemis II. The 12-hour rollout will put the orange-core rocket on the pad for the first time since Oct. 2022, when Artemis I prepared for the uncrewed lunar test flight. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told Florida Today that the team must move the vehicle out to the pad and prove it can launch when weather allows, stressing there is a launch window but no guaranteed date. Artemis II would send four astronauts-Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen-in Orion on a lunar test flight. The team has not fixed a launch date; possible windows include Feb. 6-11, Mar. 6-11, or Apr. 1-6.