‘The world will have a look’: Rollout of NASA’s Artemis II stack gets underway

Stay tuned to WTOP for ongoing coverage of the Artemis II mission.

Saturday marks a big day at the Kennedy Space Center as the Artemis II stack is scheduled to rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida.

WTOP will host a livestream of the rollout, which is expected to start at 7 a.m. EST.

Pivotal to NASA’s rollout is its crawler-transporter, which will ensure that the stack remains leveled as it makes its way to Launch Pad 39B. The journey will be hourslong and move at a pace of about 1 mph.

Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson said during a Friday news conference that the much-anticipated event marked a “milestone.”

“When I am with you, it means there is a milestone upon us. And we are approaching a big one for us,” she told reporters.

The mammoth doors of the VAB have opened to reveal the Artemis II stack. First motion is scheduled for 7 a.m. Saturday. (Courtesy Greg Redfern)

NASA's Artemis II SLS — NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft, secured to the mobile launcher, is seen inside the Vehicle Assembly building as preparations continue for roll out to Launch Pad 39B, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Keegan Barber/NASA via AP)

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“It takes a little while to get out of the VAB but about an hour after first motion you will get to see this beautiful vehicle cross the threshold, come outside and the world will have a look.”

As always, the scheduled date for each evolution can change very quickly.

Follow my daily blog to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration. You can email me at skyguyinva@gmail.com.

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