NASA began moving its Artemis II lunar rocket and Orion spacecraft to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center.
The slow, hours-long journey kicks off the final tests ahead of the first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years.
The implementation of this plan is essential, as it initiates the final phase of practical tasks that NASA must perform on the platform.
Here, teams connect the vehicle to ground systems and perform countdown exercises.
NASA has set February 6 as the earliest launch date for Artemis II.
Artemis II will mark NASA's first crewed launch using the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, sending astronauts in the Orion capsule on a roughly 10-day journey that makes a loop around the Moon before returning to Earth.
The mission aims to test life support, guidance and other critical systems ahead of a future Artemis flight that plans to land astronauts on the lunar surface.
The 11-million-pound rocket and capsule are mounted on a mobile launch pad.
But NASA warns that launch times could change due to weather or technical problems, and has imposed strict restrictions regarding lightning, wind and temperature.
The space agency confirmed that the crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, with Hansen joining them as a mission specialist.
Hansen is expected to become the first Canadian involved in a lunar exploration mission.
In a press conference, Artemis II mission management chief John Honeycutt stressed that "crew safety will be the number 1 priority."
He also noted that the timeline depends heavily on upcoming tests on the platform that should go smoothly.
Space policy analysts emphasized that the flight will follow a "free return" trajectory - a loop around the Moon designed to bring Orion back to Earth even if its main engine fails.
"These are the kinds of days we live for," Honeycutt said as preparations for the mission's launch wrapped up.
David Parker, former head of the UK Space Agency, described the mission as "a big deal", marking progress towards sustainable exploration of the Moon and eventually Mars.
Otherwise, the US has not sent astronauts to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
NASA's Artemis I mission, which flew Orion around the Moon uncrewed in 2022, set the stage for Artemis II. This upcoming mission aims to move closer to crewed landings and eventually establish a permanent lunar outpost. /Telegraph/
