By The Canadian Press

NASA delays Artemis launch with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen until March

Feb 3, 2026 | 12:49 PM

WASHINGTON — NASA has delayed the planned launch of a moon rocket with a Canadian on board until at least March.

In a press conference in Florida on Tuesday, NASA officials said the Artemis II astronauts, including Canadian Jeremy Hansen, have been released from quarantine and are in Houston, home to the Johnson Space Center.

“When I reflect on where we are today, I think of the team,” said Amit Kshatriya, NASA associate administrator.

The space agency had been planning to launch the rocket on Sunday.

“I think it’s clear, based on what we saw in real time, we are now targeting no earlier than March for (the) Artemis II launch,” Kshatriya said.

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The space agency ran into hydrogen fuel leaks during a test of its new moon rocket at the Kennedy Space Center on Monday. The test had been delayed already by cold weather.

Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, said a lot of data was gathered during this week’s dress rehearsal that will help inform future launches.

NASA can only conduct launches a few days each month and space agency officials said they are looking forward to their next opportunity on March 6.

The planned 10-day mission would see the astronauts travel past the moon, around its far side and then straight back to Earth. There will be no moon landing but the mission sets the stage for future astronauts to take another giant leap for mankind.

NASA sent 24 astronauts to the moon during the 1960s and 1970s but no human has made the journey in more than half a century.

Hansen’s participation in the space mission also marks a historic achievement for Canada — he would become the first non-American to travel beyond low Earth orbit.

The 49-year-old astronaut from London, Ont. will serve as mission specialist. His crewmates are NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch.

Fellow Canadian astronaut Jenni Gibbons, 37, of Calgary is also serving as Hansen’s backup and will be supporting the crew from ground control.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 3, 2026.

— With files from The Associated Press

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press