SLS rocket Orion spacecraft arrives at launchpad for final test

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft atop have arrived  at the Kennedy Space Center in preparation for a final test before the space agency’s Artemis I Moon mission. The rocket has been rolled to the pad for a final test before launch. This test, called a wet dress rehearsal, will run the launch team through operations to load propellants into rocket’s tanks, conduct a full launch countdown, demonstrate the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and also drain the tanks to practice the timelines and procedures the team will use for launch.
Before the test, all systems will have to undergo checkouts at the pad. After the rehearsal, NASA will review data from the test before deciding on the launch date for the upcoming launch.
Several days after the test, the integrated rocket and spacecraft will roll back to the Vehicle Assembly building to remove the sensors used during the rehearsal, charge system batteries, stow late-load cargo, and run final checkouts. About a week before the launch, Orion and SLS will roll to the launchpad for a final time.

“Rolling out of the Vehicle Assembly Building is an iconic moment for this rocket and spacecraft, and this is a key milestone for NASA,” said Tom Whitmeyer, an adminrator at the agency, in a press statement. “Now at the pad for the first time, we will use the integrated systems to practice the launch countdown and load the rocket with the propellants it needs to send Orion on a lunar journey in preparation for launch.”
With Artemis, NASA aims to establish long-term exploration at the Moon, preparing for a human mission to Mars, along with the human landing systems and a gateway in orbit around the moon. The uncrewed flight test mission will pave the way for many moon missions including ones that will land the first woman and the first person of colour on the Moon.