CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – Preparations are underway for NASA’s colossal new lunar vehicle to reach the launchpad on Saturday, signaling the imminent commencement of the first crewed journey for a lunar fly-around in over fifty years.

This outbound and return mission is slated for a potential liftoff as early as February.

The imposing 322-foot (98-meter) aerospace vehicle commenced its deliberate 1-mph (1.6-kph) progression from Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building at dawn. Its extensive 4-mile (6-kilometer) transit concluded by dusk.

Thousands of personnel stationed at the space center, accompanied by their families, congregated amidst the pre-dawn chill to bear witness to this long-anticipated event, which had been subject to years of delays.

They clustered together in anticipation of the Space Launch System rocket’s emergence from the edifice, a structure originally erected in the 1960s to accommodate the Saturn V rockets instrumental in conveying 24 astronauts to the Moon during the historic Apollo program.

The jubilant assembly was addressed by NASA’s newly appointed administrator, Jared Isaacman, alongside the four astronauts designated for this pioneering mission.

“It’s a truly momentous occasion to be present,” remarked Reid Wiseman, the designated crew commander. “The experience is profoundly awe-inspiring.”

With an aggregate mass of 11 million pounds (5 million kilograms), the Space Launch System rocket, crowned by the Orion crew capsule, was transported aboard a colossal conveyance system previously utilized during the Apollo and shuttle eras. This system underwent enhancements to support the increased weight of the SLS rocket.

The solitary prior launch of an SLS vehicle – which successfully propelled an uncrewed Orion capsule into lunar orbit – occurred in November 2022.

“This undertaking carries a significantly different weight, as we are integrating crew onto the rocket for a lunar circumnavigation,” stated NASA’s John Honeycutt on the eve of the rocket’s relocation.

Issues concerning heat shield integrity and other anomalies identified with the capsule during its inaugural test flight necessitated exhaustive examinations and validation procedures, thereby postponing this initial crewed lunar expedition until the present juncture.

The assigned astronauts will not be engaging in lunar orbit maneuvers, nor will they be undertaking a surface landing. Such a monumental stride is reserved for the third mission within the Artemis initiative, anticipated in the subsequent years.

Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and Christina Koch – seasoned NASA astronauts possessing prior spaceflight experience – will be accompanied on this 10-day expedition by Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, a former fighter pilot embarking on his inaugural rocket voyage.

They will ascend as the initial individuals to voyage to the Moon since Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt of Apollo 17 concluded the celebrated lunar landing program in 1972.

Twelve individuals have previously traversed the lunar surface, with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin being the inaugural pioneers in 1969. Presently, only four of these lunar explorers remain alive; Aldrin, the eldest among them, will attain his 96th birthday on Tuesday.

“Their enthusiasm is palpable for our return to the Moon,” Wiseman stated. “They possess a profound desire to witness humanity venture as far from Earth as feasible, delving into the unknown.”

NASA intends to conduct a critical fueling assessment of the SLS rocket while positioned on the launchpad in early February before definitively confirming a launch schedule.

“We have, to my understanding, absolutely no intention of announcing an official launch date” until the comprehensive completion of the fueling demonstration, Isaacman informed journalists.

The space agency has a limited five-day window for launch in the initial half of February before the schedule advances into March.