KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Teams are on track to roll the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B, NASA announced. The space agency said rollout would be no earlier than Friday with first motion targeted for 12:01 a.m. EDT.
Minor repairs have been mostly completed, NASA said. Preparations are underway to ready the mobile launcher and VAB for rollout by configuring the mobile launcher arms and umbilicals and retracting the access platforms surrounding SLS and Orion as work is completed.
Testing of the reaction control system on the twin solid rocket booters, as well as the installation of the flight batteries, is complete, NASA said.
NASA said teams are continuing to work in the intertank area of the core stage and upper section of the boosters to replace batteries. These areas will remain open to support remaining battery and flight termination system activities.
The crew module and launch abort system hatches are closed for the roll to the pad, and engineers will perform final closeouts at the pad prior to launch, the space agency said.
Teams will plan to move the crawler transporter into position outside of the VAB ahead of rolling into the facility early next week. The agency continues to target a launch date no earlier than 12:07 a.m. EDT Nov. 14.
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