Nasa readies its most powerful rocket for round-the-moon flight

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: The Guardian

Nasa is preparing to roll out its most powerful rocket yet before a mission to send astronauts around the moon and back again for the first time in more than 50 years.

The Artemis II mission is scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida as early as 6 February, taking its crew on a 685,000-mile round trip that will end about 10 days later with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

The flight will mark only the second test of Nasa’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the first with a crew onboard. The four astronauts will live and work in the Orion capsule, testing life support and communications systems and practising docking manoeuvres.
...
But first, the rollout. As early as Saturday morning, Nasa’s crawler-transporter 2, an enormous tracked vehicle, will start lugging the 5,000-tonne rocket and spacecraft from the vehicle assembly building to the launchpad. The four-mile journey can take up to 12 hours.



Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/17/nasa-readies-most-powerful-rocket-round-moon-flight

[byronius]

1. Pretty cool indeed.

More more more.

[Roy Rolling]

2. Amazing technology

You know, a real (alpha male) POTUS wouldn’t need a space suit and hair-messing helmet to ride to the moon and back on a rocket. Just saying in case someone wants to make history.

Perhaps he and Elon could book two first-class window seats?

[Bengus81]

4. No...they need to be the first men on the sun

[Brother Buzz]

20. Elan Musk is going to the sun after he figured how to defeat the pesky heat

He will go at nighttime!

[llmart]

3. I've had a front row seat to following this mission.

My son is a NASA software engineer. He's kept me updated on the intense simulations that have been taking place for months, working into the late hours to insure everything runs smoothly and safely. Watching the crawler head out to th launchpad is amazing!

[electric_blue68]

9. Way cool!

[llmart]

10. I'm planning a trip down that week in hopes it's a "go".

He usually gets a pass for the launch and it's also his birthday week, so two excuses for me to go.

[electric_blue68]

13. Oh, that's great! Hope there'll be a launch!

[llmart]

14. Did you know that this is the first time a woman has been the launch director?

I love that fact! Yes, I hope there's a launch too which is why I'm planning on the entire week if weather doesn't cooperate on the 6th.

[electric_blue68]

17. I think I read that! Another advancement for women!

Good to be able to hang out with your son, and have several days to catch a launch.

Here's a story. Back in ?'80's there was going be a nighttime launch. The trajectory was going to take it over the NYC area.

We lved in a building sitting on an 7+ story high hill, and our apt faced a 180° view. (As sky/cloud fan; it was wonderful!) Like, on a winters night I could see Orion out my window.

So I think I set my alarm to get up to see the rocket trail. I remember sort of feeling "floaty" with anticipation, as I got up, and walked to the window with a clear night sky in view. But.....
nothing.
Turned out a canceled launch.

[llmart]

18. Aww.. that's too bad.

I've seen some launches - mostly of Eloon's while visiting Cocoa Beach. It was too far away and not very exciting since both of them were just to take stuff to the space station. Fun coincidence - my son's father and I got married the Saturday of the first moon landing. We watched them walk on the moon on a tiny, borrowed black and white portable TV.

[electric_blue68]

19. I love it! My sis and I - our parents let us stay up....

Last edited Sun Jan 18, 2026, 04:20 PM - Edit history (1)

I was 16, she was 12. Can't remember if it was a school night

I was just giddy with excitement!

One time there was a launch, and I sat alone in my HS staircase with a little transistor radio to hear it, when I should have been in class! 😄

For the actual Moon Landing Launch I was a volunteer for my local Headstart program. We were taking the kids somewhere. I sat in the back of the bus with same transistor radio to hear the liftoff!

I always believed with the right government we could take care of people, the planet, and do space exploration. 👍

[BeneteauBum]

5. I'm excited

Even though this is a fly by, it’s been too long in returning to humans to the lunar surface.
Peace ☮️

[gfwzig]

6. I'm sure the tangerine publicity hound will make an ass of himself sometime during the mission

[AllaN01Bear]

7. like. :)

[llmart]

12. He'll probably talk ad nauseum about all the times he flew into space.

Just like his claim he stopped eight wars single handedly.

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. Or say why haven't they strapped 2 rockets together, that way you could go twice as fast?

A lot of people are saying that the president has a great understanding of space. It's in his genes, you know. Men from NASA are coming to him with tears in their eyes saying "Sir, will you help design our next rocket, like you're designing the Trump Class Battleships, because Real Estate, Naval Architecture and Rocket Science are all the same thing, really?"

[llmart]

16. I literally laughed out loud at that!

He's such a freakshow. The only understanding of space he has is the void space between his ears.

[reACTIONary]

22. He's also a very aesthetic.....

.... he's going to go with a "Buck Rogers" motif.

[AllaN01Bear]

8. :)

[electric_blue68]

11. All good luck to this new mission!

Space buff, here. 🙂 🚀 🛰

Old enough to have had our grade school ckasses wheel in the 7 ft TV stand (w TV 😉 ) to watch the Mercury fights!

[LudwigPastorius]

21. This is huge.

My mom told me that she got to see a Saturn V launch in the early days of the Apollo missions. She said that thing rattled your molars from 3 & 1/2 miles away.

The SLS is about 15% more powerful. It ought to be some sight.