- Nasa has transported its Space Launch System moon rocket from its hangar to the launch pad for the second time this year, in preparation for the upcoming Artemis II mission.
- The 322-foot (98-meter) rocket began its slow 4-mile (6.4-kilometre) journey to the pad at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, transported by a massive crawler, with the trip experiencing several hours of delay due to high winds.
- The mission aims to launch four astronauts – three Americans and one Canadian – on a lunar fly-around as early as April 1, with the crew having already entered quarantine in Houston.
- The Artemis II mission, which involves the crew zipping around the moon in their capsule and returning without landing, was previously delayed by two months due to hydrogen fuel leaks and clogged helium lines, necessitating the rocket's return to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs.
- This mission is a crucial step in Nasa’s new Artemis programme, which follows the last human moon landing during Apollo 17 in 1972, and ultimately targets a two-person lunar landing in 2028.
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