Thread | Brutkey

NASA is targeting Sat. Jan 17 for the rollout of the Artemis II SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft for final integration, testing, and launch rehearsals.

The 4-mile journey to the launch pad at KSC using the crawler-transporter-2 will take ~12 hours. After system checks and tests, astronauts will conduct a final walkdown at the pad.

At the end of Jan, NASA will conduct a wet dress rehearsal, including fueling and unfueling of the rocket without astronauts onsite.

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/artemis-2/final-steps-underway-for-nasas-first-crewed-artemis-moon-mission/
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Pic of the rollout of the Artemis I Space Launch System rocket in Aug 2022.
Image credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

AkaSci 🛰

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@AkaSci@fosstodon.org

Knock knock!

It is NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 arriving at the Vehicle Assembly Building at KSC for a pick-up!

Tomorrow morning Jan. 17, at ~7 a.m. EST. it will transport NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft + Mobile Launcher to Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the Artemis II crewed mission around the Moon on ~6 Feb.

At about one mph, the four-mile journey will take 10-12 hours.

Livestream starts at 7 a.m. at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrVnsO_rdew

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2026/01/16/artemis-ii-moon-rocket-ready-for-big-move/
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Pic of the NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 near the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.

Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/55041637063/in/album-72157700246421144/

AkaSci 🛰

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@AkaSci@fosstodon.org

A pair of crawler-transporters (nicknamed “Hans” and “Franz”) were built in 1965 to move the massive Saturn V rocket from Kennedy’s VAB to Launch Complex 39. After the Moon landing and Skylab programs ended, the crawlers were used to transport the space shuttles.

CT-2 was upgraded for the Artemis program around 2012.
CT-1 was originally planned for commercial launch vehicles but its future remains uncertain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawler-transporter
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/exploration-ground-systems/the-crawlers/
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Crawler-transporter #2 beginning a road test on 21 December 2004 after replacement of the shoes on its caterpillar tracks. This replacement is part of the "Return to Flight" program, and Crawler #2 was used to transport Space Shuttle Discovery to the launch pad for the STS-114 mission. The Vehicle Assembly Building is just visible at upper right.

AkaSci 🛰

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@AkaSci@fosstodon.org

Here are a few vital specs of the unique NASA crawler-transporter vehicles. No other vehicle comes close.

Each CT is larger than the size of a baseball infield and powered by locomotive and large electrical power generator engines.

The crawlers are designed to roll underneath the mobile launcher (ML) along with assembled rocket, pick it up, and steadily carry it 4.2 miles to Launch Pad 39B.

https://www3.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/combined_crawler-transporters_fact_sheet_final.pdf
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