NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft began a slow crawl from Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B early Saturday. The 11-million-pound structure, carried by a historic crawler, marks a major milestone for the Artemis II mission—the first human voyage to the Moon’s vicinity since 1972.

Artemis II will send four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—on a flyby around the far side of the Moon. The crew will set a record for the farthest humans have traveled from Earth, culminating in a high-speed reentry over the Pacific Ocean. This test flight is critical for validating the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft.

The mission represents decades of development, originating from the Constellation program and revived by political agreements. While a human-rated lander and specialized spacesuits remain years away, a successful Artemis II would prove NASA’s core architecture for returning astronauts to the Moon. Managers are watching closely to avoid “launch fever” and ensure a safe, methodical rollout.