NASA’s moon program cellular launcher rolls again to the launch pad for testing – Spaceflight Now

The launch tower supporting the primary three Artemis moon missions was again on the transfer for the primary time Wednesday after greater than half a 12 months of repairs and upgrades.

NASA’s 380-foot-tall cellular launcher (ML1) started making its method from its parking spot close to the Car Meeting Constructing (VAB) at 8:27 a.m. EDT (1227 UTC) out in direction of Launch Complicated 39B. That is the primary time the tower has returned to the pad for the reason that launch of the Artemis 1 mission in November 2022.

Since that inaugural launch, the construction has undergone a collection of upgrades, together with work carried out in direction of certifying the crew entry arm and getting ready the emergency egress system, which might assist astronauts and assist crew shortly escape from the proximity of the rocket within the occasion of an emergency.

NASA will slowly roll ML1 to the pad atop the crawler transporter car and park exterior of the gate by the tip of Wednesday. It can make its method up the ramp and change into stationary on Thursday forward of its continued testing marketing campaign.

Kennedy Area Heart’s Exploration Floor Techniques workforce will undergo a collection of checks, like launch day demonstrations for the crew, closeout crew and pad rescue groups.

Following ample checkouts, ML1 will roll away from the pad and into the VAB to organize for car stacking, which is slated to start in February. NASA is pushing for a launch of the crewed Artemis 2 mission in November 2024.