Nasa's giant new SLS Moon rocket revealed to public

It's the most powerful rocket ever developed by the US space agency

A giant new Moon rocket built by Nasa has been revealed to the public for the first time in Florida, in the USA.

The vehicle, known as the Space Launch System (SLS), has been taken to the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center to carry out a practice countdown.

If it gets through a final round of tests on time, it will send an uncrewed test capsule around the Moon within a couple of months.

The 100 metre-tall vehicle is part of Nasa's Artemis programme that aims to return astronauts to the Moon's surface some time in the second half of this decade.

What will the SLS rocket do?

The SLS Rocket

The Space Launch System - or SLS - is designed to be able to send enough cargo to the Moon that astronauts will be able to stay there for longer periods. 

At a news conference, Nasa's administrator, Bill Nelson, said the rocket was an impressive feat of engineering.

"The Space Launch System is the only rocket capable of sending humans into deep space. It's the most powerful rocket in the world and during lift-off it will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust, propelling the Orion spacecraft about 240,000 miles to the Moon," Mr Nelson said.

"Orion will venture farther than any spacecraft built for humans, that has ever flown humans," he added.

Why is the Artemis mission so expensive?

Trips to space aren't cheap and this mission is no different.

The multi-billion dollar programme, relies on the US government releasing just over $3 billion (that's around £2.2 billion) for building a landing system.

Nasa administrator Jim Bridenstine said: "The $28bn represents the costs associated for the next four years in the Artemis programme to land on the Moon.

"SLS funding, Orion funding, the human landing system and of course the spacesuits - all of those things that are part of the Artemis programme are included."

When was the last time humans went to the Moon?

The last time a person landed on the Moon was in 1972.

The first ever landing was a few years earlier on July 20 1969, when Neil Armstrong, one of the astronauts in Apollo 11, became the first human to walk on the surface of the Moon.

It was one of the most important moments in human history.