We’re getting closer and closer to the beginning of launch operations for NASA’s Artemis 2 mission around the Moon; the first crewed mission to the Moon since the 1970s. The rocket, NASA’s Space Launch System, will begin its launch readiness with its rollout to Launch Complex 39B in just a few weeks.

NASA‘s massive Space Launch System is getting ready for what you can call its second biggest act. While its starring role will be its launch later this year, its first impressive feat will be making its move from the safety of the Vehicle Assembly about 10 miles away.

This is called “rollout” and can be viewed as the official start of launch operations for the Artemis 2 mission, NASA’s biggest crewed mission in decades.

Artemis 2’s goal is to complete a shakedown of the Orion spacecraft, launching atop the SLS rocket while flying around the Moon. Similar to the Apollo 8 mission, its trajectory will take it around the Moon before returning back to Earth without a landing attempt on the lunar surface.

NASA shared that Artemis 2’s rollout would take place in “less than two weeks” on January 2, meaning it could happen as soon as next week.

After rollout, NASA teams will test all the systems needed for launch before giving a go-ahead for Artemis 2 to liftoff. This is also where issues could begin to show, requiring additional work to get the rocket ready to fly. It’s important to note that the last time NASA launched an SLS rocket was on Artemis 1 back in November 2022. While the team has been preparing for this launch with simulations and tests for years, this will be the hardware’s first attempt at flying. Thousands, if not millions, of things need to work exactly as they’re designed for the mission to even get off the pad, leaving plenty of room for things to go wrong and be fixed before showtime.

Artemis 2’s launch window opens February 6; however, there are no signs that NASA will meet that first launch attempt. If there is one thing you can expect from a government-managed project, it’s to be delayed after any date it gives you.

Artemis 1 took several months to launch, but we would expect Artemis 2 to go a bit smoother than that. Once Artemis 2’s rocket is at the pad, we’ll start to know just how realistic that February 6 date is.