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ORLANDO, Fla. - NASA’s Artemis II rocket could roll out to Launch Pad 39B a day earlier than expected, following quicker-than-anticipated completion of pre-launch work.
Officials are finalizing the schedule as teams prepare for the 12-hour journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building.
What we know:
The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, part of NASA’s Artemis II mission, may be moved from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B on Thursday, March 19.
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Engineers recently replaced an electrical harness on the flight termination system of the rocket’s core stage, which initially prompted a planned delay to Friday, March 20. The rollout itself is expected to take up to 12 hours, and NASA will provide a live stream of the move.
What we don't know:
NASA has not yet confirmed the exact start time for the rollout, which will be decided on Wednesday, March 18.
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Weather conditions leading up to the launch window could also influence the schedule, as officials continue to monitor forecasts closely.
The backstory:
The Artemis II mission is NASA’s first crewed mission around the Moon following Artemis I, which flew uncrewed in 2022.
The move to the launch pad is a critical step in final launch preparations, allowing engineers to complete final tests and integrations. A smooth rollout is essential to keep the early April launch window on track.
What they're saying:
NASA has highlighted that the successful resolution of the electrical harness issue "gained some of the time back," making an earlier rollout possible.
Officials also noted that a rollout on either March 19 or 20 "would still preserve the possibility of launching as early as Wednesday, April 1," with additional opportunities through April 6 and April 30.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by NASA.