NASA to roll SLS rocket off launch pad today—all details here

Crawler-Transporter 2 will traverse about 4 miles in 12 hours from launch pad 39B to the vehicle assembly building.

UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO

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. (Cover Image Source: NASA/Sam Lott)

The morning of Wednesday, February 25, 2026, will see NASA move its massive SLS rocket for the Artemis II mission back to the vehicle assembly building (VAB). While NASA’s original plan was to make the move earlier, cold temperatures and high winds forced the agency to postpone it. The Explorations Ground Systems team will now begin rolling the rocket out at around 9 am EST. Teams at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida will continue to be on the lookout for weather conditions that could affect the process.

rtemis II NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot, and Christina Koch, mission specialist, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist, pose for a photograph during rollout of NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft to Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026 — Artemis II NASA astronauts (from the left) Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist) pose for a photograph during rollout of NASA’s Artemis II SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft to Launch Complex 39B on Jan. 17, 2026 (Image Source: NASA)

The reason for this rollback is an issue that was encountered in the aftermath of the second wet dress rehearsal. While the second fueling test was largely a success, with NASA having overcome the hydrogen leak issue, teams were not able to properly flow helium into the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) of the SLS rocket after the test. While the exact cause of the issue hasn't been pinpointed yet, NASA informed that it was looking into the ground-rocket interface of the lines used to route helium, a valve in the upper stage, and a filter between the ground and the rocket.

We’re targeting around 9am EST (1400 UTC), Wednesday, Feb. 25, to begin rolling the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft off the launch pad and back to the Vehicle Assembly Building @NASAKennedy. Read the latest @NASAArtemis updates: https://t.co/7gicm7DWBt
— NASA (@NASA) February 24, 2026

The journey to the vehicle assembly building spans about 4 miles and is expected to take 12 hours to complete. Once inside the vehicle assembly building, platforms to access the source of the helium issue will be built. While they are at it, teams will also access the upper stage to replace some batteries. More battery replacement and testing will be done in the flight termination system as well.

NASA's Artemis II sits in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on January 16, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Joe Raedle) — NASA's Artemis II sits in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on January 16, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Joe Raedle)

Meanwhile, the crew of Artemis II was released from quarantine on February 21, 2026. Out of the crew consisting of NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and the Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen, the latter two were reported to have been practicing their flying chops in a T-38 earlier in the month.

The Artemis II crew members were released from quarantine on Feb. 21 and remain in Houston as NASA prepares to roll back Artemis II to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Returning to the VAB is required to determine the cause of an issue with the… pic.twitter.com/eWvmOQfck7
— Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (@ExploreSpaceKSC) February 23, 2026

Once the helium flow issue has been fixed, NASA hopes to get the rocket back out to the launchpad for a possible launch in April. While the entire program has been beset with setbacks since the scrubbing of the original February launch window, NASA leadership remains optimistic over the future of Artemis II and is expected to address the media later in the week. This mission serves as a test flight of Orion’s life-sustaining capabilities in the inhospitable lunar surroundings.

Computer-generated image of the proposed Gateway lunar orbiting station (Representative Image Source: NASA) — Computer-generated image of the proposed Gateway lunar orbiting station. (Representative Image Source: NASA)

With NASA leaving no stone unturned, the fate of Artemis II will determine if the agency can take its next step on the lunar surface. This milestone of human achievement has been put on the agenda of Artemis III and slated for 2028 at the moment. That turn will serve as a stepping stone for more sustained exploratory missions, such as Artemis IV, which will help set up a lunar orbiter in Gateway to conduct science and look beyond at Mars.