#CNN: #NASA begins assembling the rocket for #Artemis #moon mission

(CNN) – NASA engineers have begun assembling the massive rocket designed to take the first woman to the moon later this decade as part of the Artemis program. The first booster segment of the Space Launch System (SLS) was stacked on top of the mobile launcher at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida earlier this week in preparation for its maiden flight, NASA said Tuesday. A total of 10 segments will form the twin solid rocket boosters before its first liftoff, which is expected to take place next year. The rocket is a key part of NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration program, which aims to send the first woman and next man to the Moon by 2024. NASA officials also hope the SLS will be used to reach Mars and other “deep space destinations.”
Read more at: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/25/americas/nasa-sls-moon-rocket-assembly-scn-trnd/index.html