--- title: "Chunky Turtle Spotted Near NASA’s Mega Moon Rocket" description: "Obsessed with this sizable turtle, which NASA caught smiling in front of their colossal Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket." date: "2022-07-01" modified: "2022-07-01" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/turtle-spotted-near-nasa-mega-moon-rocket" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "NASA" - "reptiles" - "space" - "the digest" --- # Chunky Turtle Spotted Near NASA’s Mega Moon Rocket ![Obsessed with this sizable turtle, which NASA caught smiling in front of their colossal Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Big Turtle Between the [Roe reversal]() and the [EPA rollback](), it's been a pretty grim week. Bright spots have felt few and far between, but this one may shine the brightest: a [sizable turtle](), which NASA caught mugging in front of their colossal Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket. The SLS is currently standing by at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it just completed — [well, *technically* completed]() — a critical round of testing. Presumably, our reptilian pal lives close by. https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy/status/1542268261777244162 ## Bigger Rocket While this Space Turtle clearly has some heft, it's not nearly as gigantic as the SLS. It's considered a Mega Moon Rocket for a reason — the towering vessel checks in at an astonishing 212 feet tall, 27 feet wide, and is so big that it can be [seen from space](). Alas, the SLS has had a few launch-delaying hiccups. Fueling issues and computer glitches have plagued the gargantuan craft, which is set to make its maiden voyage during the first Artemis Moon mission — the timeline for which has already shifted several times, as has the [schedule for the Artemis project]() as a whole. Honestly though, while those delays are frustrating for NASA, they might be good news for our shelled associate. As one might guess, considering the extraordinary amount of resources it requires, space exploration is pretty terrible for the environment. Like, [really bad](). But that's more bad news! For now, we're simply enjoying this delightfully endearing photograph of a large turtle, posing confidently in front of an extremely expensive megarocket. **More on good news:** [*Scientists Say New James Webb Images Are so Powerful That It Was Emotional Just Looking at Them*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()