Artemis II will secure Canada as major player in space exploration
Posted Feb 4, 2026 03:24:13 PM.
Last Updated Feb 6, 2026 11:11:44 AM.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Canadarm 3 would be a part of the Artemis II mission.
It’s been a long time since the last manned mission to the moon — over half-a-century.
But, we’ll have to wait a little longer after a technical problem grounded the Artemis II lunar mission on Tuesday.
When it eventually takes off, Artemis II will have a major Canadian component. Astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who grew up in London, Ont., is one of the mission specialists.
NASA intends to use the Canadarm 3 to help build the Lunar Gateway, which will become the first space station orbiting the moon.
Orbax, a science educator in the physics department at the University of Guelph, told 570 NewsRadio that Canada has a long collaborative relationship with NASA.
“Even at the University of Guelph, one of our professors in the physics department has an active piece of scientific equipment on the Curiosity Rover on Mars. We’ve been working side-by-side with the Americans and our other colleagues across the world to do science in space for decades.”
Orbax also pointed out that Hansen will be making history with this flight as well.
“Now, not only are we sending a Canadian up past Earth orbit, toward the moon. But it will be the first non-American astronaut to go that far, ever.”
The Artemis flight will take the crew around the far side of the moon, over 10,000 kilometres from the surface. During that time, the crew will conduct tests on the life support systems of the Orion spacecraft and the propulsion system.
The long-term goal of the Gateway is to facilitate research that will eventually lead to missions to Mars and beyond.
“It’s been 50-some years since we’ve sent human beings up to the moon,” said Orbax. “This is an exciting moment for a whole generation or several generations later to get that moment where they see someone set foot on the moon.”
NASA has set a new launch date of no earlier than March 6. That exact date will depend on several factors, including the weather.
