Overview
- The SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft reached Launch Pad 39B after about a 10-hour rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building early on March 20 at Kennedy Space Center.
- Engineers removed a dislodged quick‑disconnect seal that had blocked helium flow to the upper stage, validated the redesign, and refreshed hardware including flight termination system batteries.
- NASA’s Flight Readiness Review on March 12 returned a unanimous go for a launch campaign opening no earlier than April 1, with additional opportunities through April 6 and later in the month.
- Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen entered health stabilization quarantine on March 18 and will move to Kennedy Space Center several days before liftoff.
- The roughly 10‑day mission will fly a hybrid free‑return trajectory to validate Orion and ESA’s European Service Module, with planned demonstrations that include high‑rate laser communications.