Nasa's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the towering powerhouse set to launch the Artemis II mission, completed its 4-mile journey to Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, yesterday, marking a crucial step in preparations for the first crewed lunar mission in over half a century. The move, reminiscent of the Apollo era's meticulous build-up, saw the 98-meter-tall rocket transported vertically from the Vehicle Assembly Building over nearly 12 hours.

The SLS began its slow march at 07:04 local time (12:04 GMT) and secured its position at the launch pad at 18:41 local time (23:42 GMT), carried by the crawler-transporter, a machine as vital to the mission as a star quarterback is to a Super Bowl contender. Now in place, the rocket faces a series of final tests and checks, including a dress rehearsal, akin to pre-game warmups before the Artemis II mission gets the green light.

Nasa is targeting February 6 as the earliest possible launch date, but has also identified launch windows later in February, as well as in March and April, providing multiple opportunities to execute the 10-day mission that will send four astronauts on a lunar flyby. This mission is a significant leap forward, a generational play following the last human steps on the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

The Artemis II mission aims to slingshot a crew of astronauts around the Moon, testing critical life support systems and validating the Orion spacecraft's capabilities in the harsh environment of deep space. This is a crucial "away game" before attempting a landing on the lunar surface with Artemis III, scheduled for later this decade. The success of Artemis II will be measured not just in miles traveled, but in the invaluable data collected and the experience gained, paving the way for a sustained human presence on the Moon and, eventually, Mars.