At around 2:30 p.m. ET on July 2, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission were firmly secured inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Kennedy Space Center after a four-mile (6.4-kilometer) trek from launch pad 39B that began at 4:12 a.m. ET Saturday, July 2.
Over the next several days, the team will extend work platforms to allow access to SLS and Orion. In the coming weeks, teams will replace a seal on the quick disconnect of the tail service mast umbilical and perform additional checkouts and activities before returning to the pad for launch.
NASA analyzed the data from the wet dress rehearsal conducted on June 20 and determined the testing campaign was complete. Now that the rocket and spacecraft have been rolled back to the VAB, preparations can proceed for the upcoming launch.
Artemis I will be the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will enable human exploration to the Moon and Mars.
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