Our First Views of NASA’s Long-Awaited Megarocket, Fully Stacked and on the Launch Pad

Slow and steady wins the race

SLS—with the Orion crew capsule atop—slowly makes its way down the crawlerway at Kennedy Space Center. Photo: NASA/Kim Shiflett

SLS headed to the launch pad in anticipation of the wet dress rehearsal, currently scheduled for April 3. After the system is loaded with propellant, mission controllers will perform a full countdown but will stop short of actually launching the rocket. SLS will then be drained of its propellant and brought back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for final checkouts.

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