Video: Zoomed in view of ignition of Falcon 9 engines in prelaunch test (members only)

The Atlas 5 rocket that will send NASA’s Perseverance rover toward Mars next month aced a countdown rehearsal Monday at Cape Canaveral, helping ensure the United Launch Alliance-built rocket is ready for liftoff during the rover’s 23-day launch window.

Two weeks after the successful launch of two astronauts to the International Space Station, the director of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program has been promoted to chief of the agency’s human spaceflight directorate, a portfolio that includes the Artemis moon program, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced Friday.

This will be the fastest turnaround for the Starship program as SpaceX works towards what needs to become a weekly launch cadence for NASA’s Artemis program. Liftoff is set for no earlier than 4 p.m. CST (5 p.m. EST, 2200 UTC) on Nov. 18.