Dress rehearsal: NASA moon rocket’s last test before launch

By MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA is kicking off a critical countdown test for its new moon rocket. The two-day dress rehearsal began Friday at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center and will culminate Sunday with the loading of the rocket’s fuel tanks. The 30-story Space Launch System rocket was moved to the launch pad two weeks ago. The weekend test is the final major milestone before the rocket blasts off as early as June. It will send an empty Orion crew capsule hurtling toward the moon, paving the way for a test flight with astronauts a couple years later.