The US space agency NASA brought the rocket system for “Artemis 2” to the launch site. This year, for the first time in more than half a century, people are expected to fly close to the moon.
Jan 18, 2026, 05:51Jan 18, 2026, 05:51
With the help of a kind of transport truck, the approximately 100-meter-high system – consisting of the “Space Launch System” rocket and the “Orion” capsule – was moved out of the factory hall at the Cape Canaveral spaceport and slowly transported the approximately six kilometers to the launch site in a process that lasted around twelve hours.
NASA is making preparations for the lunar mission, which is scheduled to begin in summer 2026.Image: keystone
“This is the beginning of a very long journey,” said NASA boss Jared Isaacman at a press conference. With the “Artemis 2” mission, people will fly near the moon again this year for the first time in more than half a century. The US astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman as well as their Canadian colleague Jeremy Hansen are supposed to orbit the moon on the approximately ten-day mission. The last time US astronauts were on the moon was in 1972.
The earliest possible start date for “Artemis 2” is the beginning of February. An unmanned ground test is planned for the end of January. During the so-called “wet dress rehearsal”, all processes are tested except for the actual start. (sda/dpa)