NASA film tracks Artemis 1 rocket’s ‘Path to the Pad’ as mission stack unfolds today

Starting on Tuesday evening (Aug. 16), the rocket, regarded as more powerful than any before, will take a 4-mile (6.4 kilometers) one-way trip atop the fortified Crawler-Transporter 2 at the glacial speed of 1 mph (1.6 kph) while burning a gallon (3.8 liters) of diesel fuel every 42 feet (13 meters). If everything goes well, the Artemis 1 rocket’s next major journey will be launch, currently targeting Aug. 29, Space.com reports.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released the first installment of the “Path to the Pad” video series recording the events surrounding this month’s milestone mission.

This premiere chapter focuses on the gargantuan Space Launch System (SLS) rocket itself, running through the complex assembly process and jaw-dropping statistics for the most impressive launch vehicle NASA has ever constructed. With an astonishing 8.8 million pounds of thrust, this epic candle is truly the king of the launch pad, Space.com reports.

The latest 13-minute short features documentary footage of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and the dizzying logistics of the colossal rocket’s evolution into the 321-foot-tall (98 meters) launch vehicle which will carry humanity back to the moon.

From the five-segment boosters’ creation at Northrop Grumman’s Propulsion Systems Division in Promontory, Utah, and its 10-day train ride to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a rigorous inspection and eventual stacking, this interesting new video shows an insiders’ look at the awe-inspiring SLS boosters, 188,000-pound core stage, and the Orion Capsule’s single-engine Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS).