Space

'The next big step': NASA inches toward next mission with rollout of mobile launcher

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA is slowly inching forward with its mission for deep space exploration.

NASA's mobile launcher is slowly crawled across the Kennedy Space Center headed for the launch pad Thursday morning.

The launcher is getting into place for summerlong tests ahead of the first launch of the Artemis mission in 2020.

The Artemis 1 rocket will launch an unmanned Orion spacecraft into orbit for a journey around the moon.

"This is the next big step ... ready to support SLA and Orion," said Cliff Lanham, NASA mobile launcher project manager.

Channel 9 photographer Kenny Gibson live-tweeted behind-the-scenes footage from the rollout:

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