KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — Amentum , a key contractor under NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) program, has successfully led the rollout of the agency’s Artemis II mission hardware, a pivotal step toward launch. The operation involved transporting the fully stacked Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B.
The multi-hour, meticulously planned move was executed using NASA’s massive crawler-transporter. Amentum engineers and technicians were centrally responsible for operating the historic transporter, which carried the mobile launch platform and its 5.75-million-pound cargo over four miles at a top speed of just one mile per hour. The process demanded continuous systems monitoring and precise coordination with multiple NASA and contractor teams to safely deliver the integrated rocket to the launch pad.
“This successful rollout is a clear reminder of the responsibility entrusted to our team,” said Mark Walter, president of Amentum’s Engineering & Technology business. “Amentum delivered the engineering expertise and operational discipline that made this milestone possible, ensuring Artemis II’s progress toward launch and advancing our nation’s human space exploration mission.”
Artemis II will be the first crewed mission of the Artemis program, sending four astronauts on a roughly 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. It will be propelled by the SLS, the most powerful rocket NASA has ever built. Amentum’s role in the EGS program encompasses maintaining and modernizing ground infrastructure, integrating and testing launch vehicles, and supporting launch, recovery, and overall operations for Orion and SLS.
The company’s responsibility for the crawler-transporter—a cornerstone of launch operations since the Apollo era—highlights its deep legacy in high-consequence ground operations at Kennedy Space Center. With the rollout complete, the mission enters its final preparation phase on the pad, which includes a series of integrated tests, checkouts, and launch readiness activities. Artemis II is scheduled to launch early this year, marking a historic return of humans to lunar vicinity.
