NASA is preparing for a historic return to lunar orbit as the Artemis II mission is set to launch as early as February 6.
The 10-day journey will carry astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and the Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen to the vicinity of the moon, marking the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.
The spacecraft will not land on the moon, as it is not designed for surface operations, a NASA spokesperson confirmed.
Instead, the crew will aim to travel beyond the far side of the moon, with the potential to surpass the record for the farthest humans have ever ventured from Earth, currently held by Apollo 13.
Following the Artemis II crewed lunar flyby mission, the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 will be Artemis III, currently planned for no earlier than mid-2027 - with some experts suggesting it could slip to 2028.
NASA on Saturday rolled out its towering SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft as it began preparations for its first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years.
The maneuver, which takes up to 12 hours, will allow the US space agency to begin a string of tests for the Artemis II mission.
The immense orange and white Space Launch System rocket and the Orion vessel were slowly wheeled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and painstakingly moved four miles (6.5 kilometres) to Launch Pad 39B.
"We're making history," Artemis II mission management team chair John Honeycutt told a press conference.
'Pretty pumped'
US astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canada's Jeremy Hansen, were on site Saturday for the rocket's rollout.
"I'm actually pretty pumped to see that," Hansen told reporters. "In just a few weeks, you're going to see four humans fly around the moon, and if we're doing that now, imagine what we can do next."
Glover added: "We're swinging for the fence, trying to make the impossible possible."
Before the mission can take off, engineers must ensure the SLS rocket is safe and viable. After a battery of tests, a pre-launch simulation will be carried out.
NASA hopes to put humans back on the Moon as China forges ahead with a rival effort that is targeting 2030 at the latest for its first crewed mission.
NASA is hoping that the Moon could be used to help prepare future missions to Mars.
According to the White House, the directive signed by President Trump calls for astronauts to land on the Moon during the final full year of his presidency and for the first components of a permanent lunar base to be in place by 2030.
The plan includes deploying nuclear reactors on the Moon and in lunar orbit to support long-term habitation and operations.
The administration framed the move as a strategic push to strengthen US leadership in space while advancing national security and commercial interests.
