‘On its launch pad!’ NASA Artemis II moon rocket completes rollout

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA completed the roll out of its largest, most powerful rocket ever to its launch pad on Saturday.

NASA said the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft reached Launch Pad 39B at 6:42 p.m.

Artemis II will be the first mission in NASA’s moon program to have astronauts riding on the 322-foot Space Launch System.

Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will circle the moon and fly farther away from Earth than any crew before, setting the stage for astronauts to land on the moon in just another year or two.

The timeline is critical to NASA’s and the White House’s ambitions to put American boots on the moon before China does.

[WATCH: What happens to Florida’s Space Coast if it loses Artemis at Kennedy Space Center?]

The nation’s adversary in space has said it wants to land its astronauts on the moon by 2030.

Before SLS rolls out for Artemis II, the mission managers gave an update on Friday.

Your Cape Canaveral Community Correspondent, James Sparvero, asked how quickly NASA can get the moon rocket ready for launch this time.

Artemis I took eight months from rollout to launch.

“First off, it was a brand-new vehicle,” launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson responded. “And we learned a lot during that campaign getting to launch. Without significant issues, if everything goes to plan, then, certainly, there are opportunities within February that could be achievable,” she said.

[INTERACTIVE: Learn about Artemis and the Space Launch System]

Possibly launching as soon as Feb. 6, depending on a test at the pad to fuel the rocket.

Saturday’s rollout starts at 7 a.m.

We’ll keep you updated on how the slow crawl to the pad goes on News 6 and ClickOrlando.com.

[WATCH: Want to send your name around the moon on Artemis II? Here’s how]