Nasa has rolled out its massive new moon rocket to the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center, marking a major step toward sending astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. The 98-metre Space Launch System rocket began its slow journey from the vehicle assembly building at daybreak, completing the four-mile trip by nightfall.
Thousands of Nasa workers and their families gathered early in the morning to witness the event, which has faced years of delays. The rocket was transported atop a crawler originally used during the Apollo and space shuttle eras and later upgraded to support the heavier SLS system. Fully assembled with the Orion crew capsule, the rocket weighs around five million kilograms.
Nasa administrator Jared Isaacman and the four assigned astronauts led the celebrations. Mission commander Reid Wiseman described the moment as awe-inspiring. The 10-day mission will take the crew on a lunar fly-around without landing or orbiting the moon.
The crew includes Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Nasa plans a fuelling test in early February before confirming a launch window, which is expected later that month.
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