Rolling, rolling, rolling...
The SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft that will carry four astronauts around the Moon is rolling to Launch Complex 39B at NASAKennedy in Florida. The four-mile trek began at 7:04 a.m. EST on Saturday, Jan. 17, and is expected to take up to 12 hours.
The 11-million-pound stack (5-million-kg) has been undergoing preparations for launch in the Vehicle Assembly Building since October. NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 is slowly moving it on top of the mobile launcher at a speed of about 1 mph. A live feed of the move is available on NASA’s YouTube channel:
youtube.com/nasa
Image descriptions:
1. NASA’s SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, secured to the mobile launcher, is seen as it rolls out of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The rocket consists of an orange core stage standing between two white solid rocket boosters. Trucks and people standing nearby are dwarfed by the tall structure. The sky is light blue in the background and dappled with clo...