KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, United States, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - NASA on Saturday rolled out its towering SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft as it began preparations for its first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years. The immense orange and white Space Launch System rocket and the Orion vessel were slowly wheeled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and painstakingly moved four miles (6.5 kilometers) to Launch Pad 39B. "We're making history," Artemis 2 mission management team chair John Honeycutt told a press conference on Friday. The uncrewed Artemis 1 mission took place in November 2022 after multiple postponements and two failed launch attempts. NASA hopes to put humans back on the Moon as China forges ahead with a rival effort that is targeting 2030 at the latest for its first crewed mission.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha January 18, 2026 02:52 UTC