Artemis I Rollout for Launch

The mobile launcher, with NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop, rolls out of the Vehicle Assembly Building’s High Bay 3 to begin its 4.2-mile journey to Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 4, 2022. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of NASA’s SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft and is scheduled to launch Monday, Nov. 14. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by launching Orion atop the SLS rocket, operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown. During the flight, Orion will launch atop the most powerful rocket in the world and fly farther than any human-rated spacecraft has ever flown, paving the way for human deep space exploration and demonstrating our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond.