NASA’s massive New Moon rocket has been moved to its launch pad, gearing up for the first astronaut mission around the moon in over 50 years, set to begin in February. The 98-meter rocket traveled at 1 mph from the vehicle assembly building at Kennedy Space Center, with the four-mile journey taking all day. Many observers, including NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman and the four astronauts assigned to the mission, gathered to watch.
The rocket, weighing 5 million kg, transports the Orion crew capsule, which had its first uncrewed launch in November 2022. This upcoming mission, described by NASA’s John Honeycutt as “very different,” will carry a crew for orbiting the moon, marking the return of human spaceflight to lunar missions since Apollo 17 in 1972. The crew includes commander Reid Wiseman and astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen.
Prior to launch, NASA plans to conduct refueling tests in early February, with a limited window for launch in the first half of the month. Wiseman remarked on the excitement surrounding the mission, highlighting humanity’s desire to explore beyond Earth.
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