Artemis II advances toward the Moon as NASA rolls the SLS to the launch pad

NASA moved the Artemis II stack—the 322-foot Space Launch System rocket with the Orion crewed spacecraft—from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rollout on Jan. 17, 2026 sets the stage for a February mission to orbit the Moon with four astronauts, including a fueling test (wet dress rehearsal) planned for Feb. 2 and a launch window between Feb. 6–10. If February proves tight, NASA has backup opportunities in March or April, making Artemis II NASA’s first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years a pivotal milestone.