NASA's SLS Moon rocket arrives at launch pad for the first time

Although an actual launch is still some way off, NASA's Space Launch System has finally reached the pad. The SLS rocket arrived at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B for the first time at 1:45AM Eastern today, March 18th, for one last test before the Artemis I mission to the Moon. The team will conduct a wet dress rehearsal that replicates the mission short of liftoff.

The SLS will be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building several days after the test. There, crews will remove rehearsal sensors, top up batteries, add cargo and conduct final checks. The rocket will return to the launch pad about a week before the actual launch.

The deployment still marks a few important moments. The SLS project cost over $23 billion and took over a decade to complete, but the launch pad opening shows the investment is paying off. It is an important moment for the project, which is close to crewed flights.

The arrival indicates that the next chapter of NASA's exploratory missions is about to begin. NASA expects the SLS to be its primary deep space exploration launcher throughout the 2020s. As important as private rockets are, it is likely the SLS that will carry the most historic missions in the years to come.