ORLANDO, Fla. – NASA is just one day away from launching its most powerful rocket yet for a consequential and long overdue test flight.
The Space Launch System, or SLS, is finally ready to take off from Kennedy Space Center in what will be the first major step for the space agency’s Artemis program that aims to one day return astronauts to the lunar surface.
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Ken Kremer with Space UpClose joined anchor Justin Warmoth on “The Weekly” to preview the mission and the pressure NASA faces to make sure everything goes smoothly.
“They’re absolutely feeling the pressure and it has to go well,” Kremer said. “There’s very little margin for error. Just about everything has to go well.”
Hundreds of thousands of tourists are expected on the Space Coast to witness the historic liftoff that Kremer expects will look, feel and sound more like a space shuttle launch.
“The SLS is the most powerful rocket in the world,” Kremer said. “It’s about 15-20% more powerful than Apollo and the space shuttle, so it’s that class of vehicle. That class is like four times the Falcon 9.”
Atop of the SLS will be an unpiloted crew capsule that will embark on a 42-day voyage around the moon, testing numerous features before astronauts climb aboard.
The two-hour launch window opens at 8:33 a.m. Monday. Backup launch opportunities are available Sept. 2 and Sept. 5.
Watch the full interview in the video player above.
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