CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In just a few hours, the massive doors of the Vehicle Assembly Building will swing open as NASA prepares to move its most powerful and largest rocket to the launch pad.

The Artemis II mission marks the first time astronauts will board NASA’s monumental 322-foot Space Launch System as part of the moon program.

Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will embark on a journey to orbit the moon, venturing farther from Earth than any crew in history. This mission is a crucial step towards landing astronauts on the lunar surface within the next couple of years.

This timeline is pivotal for NASA and the White House, as they aim to achieve a lunar landing with American astronauts before China.

[WATCH: What are the implications for Florida’s Space Coast if Artemis operations move away from Kennedy Space Center?]

The nation’s adversary in space has said it wants to land its astronauts on the moon by 2030.

Before SLS rolls out for Artemis II, the mission managers gave an update on Friday.

Your Cape Canaveral Community Correspondent, James Sparvero, asked how quickly NASA can get the moon rocket ready for launch this time.

Artemis I took eight months from rollout to launch.

“First off, it was a brand-new vehicle,” launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson responded. “And we learned a lot during that campaign getting to launch. Without significant issues, if everything goes to plan, then, certainly, there are opportunities within February that could be achievable,” she said.

[INTERACTIVE: Learn about Artemis and the Space Launch System]

Possibly launching as soon as Feb. 6, depending on a test at the pad to fuel the rocket.

Saturday’s rollout starts at 7 a.m.

We’ll keep you updated on how the slow crawl to the pad goes on News 6 and ClickOrlando.com.

[WATCH: Want to send your name around the moon on Artemis II? Here’s how]