The NASA Artemis II rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard leaves the Vehicle Assembly Building moving slowly to pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

By The Canadian Press

Artemis II rocket begins its slow roll out to launch pad ahead of April flight date

Mar 20, 2026 | 2:22 AM

The Artemis II rocket that’s set to carry Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen around the moon has begun making its way to the launch pad.

NASA says rollout operations at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida began early Friday after being briefly delayed by high winds.

Officials say the trek to the pad is expected to take up to 12 hours.

The mission has been delayed a few times since February due to hydrogen fuel leaks and helium flow problems, but is scheduled to launch April 1.

Hansen, who hails from London, Ont., will serve as mission specialist during Artemis II, becoming the first non-American to travel beyond low Earth orbit.

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Artemis II will be the first crewed mission to the moon since 1972 — the year of the final Apollo mission.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 20, 2026.

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press