NASA's Artemis moon rocket on launchpad at Kennedy Space Center

NASA's space launch system on the launchpad

The rocket that will take Americans back to the moon is on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's space launch system rocket, Artemis I, is now at Launchpad 39-B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The 4-mile journey from the vehicle assembly building started Thursday evening. The rocket will one day take Americans back to the moon and eventually to Mars.

Now that it's at the launchpad, crews will begin preparing for a "wet dress rehearsal." That means it will be fueled up for a practice countdown. It allows crew members to prepare for what happens immediately leading up to the launch.

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If all goes well, the rehearsal should happen in about a week.

The Artemis SLS rocket is the first moon-bound rocket since Apollo 17 about 50 years ago. The actual launch is expected no sooner than May.

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