The sun sets on NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft as they stand fully assembled atop the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 31, 2026.
NASA/Sam Lott
NASA is targeting approximately 9 a.m. EST, Wednesday, Feb. 25, to begin rolling the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft for Artemis II off the launch pad and back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Teams will continue to monitor winds and temperatures in advance of the roll.
The approximately 4-mile trek is expected to take up to 12 hours. Once back in the VAB, teams will immediately begin work to install platforms to access the area of the helium flow issue. Teams also will take advantage of the time in the VAB to replace batteries in the flight termination system and retest it, and replace additional batteries in the upper stage.
