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NASA’s New Moon Rocket Is So Huge You Can Actually See It from Space

NASA’s Moon-bound Space Launch System (SLS) mega-rocket has been moved to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center last week to prepare for testing. Satellite images have shown the massive size of the rocket.

Airbus’ Pléiades Neo satellite happened to get some shots of the SLS and the Orion spacecraft that tops it as NASA prepares to test for the Artemis 1 lunar mission. Airbus also had a hand in building the SLS.

This is going to be NASA’s first lunar mission since the early 1970s. It is expected to be launched towards the moon in May at the earliest.  The SLS and Orion capsule are out on Kennedy’s launchpad, testing the uber-expensive mega-rocket.

It is said that it took a staggering 11 hours to get the SLS from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to the launch pad with the help of a 6.5-million-pound “crawler” transporter. The VAB itself was said to have the largest doors in existence so that the rocket, which measures 212 feet tall and more than 27 feet wide, could exit.

The SLS is billions of dollars over budget and took a decade to build. This is why this update is surrounded by excitement.

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