NASA will conduct various tests, including a Wet Dress Rehearsal, for the SLS rocket.

NASA will connect various pad systems to the Mobile Launcher after rolling the SLS rocket.

The SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft reached Launch Pad 39B at 6:42 PM ET on January 18, 2026.

The SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft rolled out from NASA Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building.

The CZ-12B was depicted in a closed-up shot.

The CZ-12B underwent a static fire test lasting about 20 seconds on January 18, 2026.

Tianlong 3 is vertically positioned at the Jiuquan launch site.

Tianlong 3 arrived at Jiuquan two months ago.

Pictures taken around the Ceres-2 launch show Tianlong 3 in a vertical position.

On the launchpad, Ceres-2 weighs about 100,000 kilograms and stands over 30 meters tall.

Ceres-2’s four stages and necessary systems underwent testing throughout 2025.

Ceres-2’s published payload capacity is 1,300 kilograms to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit.

The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology’s Long March 3B/E failed about twelve hours before Galactic Energy’s Ceres-2 launch.

The January 17 mission was the sixth orbital launch from China in 2026.

The first and second stages of Ceres-2 have a diameter of around 2.6 meters and the payload fairing has a diameter of 2.9 meters.

Footage viewed by China Daily staff shows Ceres-2 flying successfully for several moments before veering off-course and crashing into the ground.

Galactic Energy’s Ceres-2 experienced flight anomalies during its maiden flight that resulted in early termination of the mission.

Galactic Energy’s Ceres-2 launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on January 17 at around 12:08 China Standard Time (04:08 UTC).

Galactic Energy has achieved twenty-one successful flights using the smaller Ceres-1 launch vehicle.

The fourth stage of Ceres-2 burns a storable propellant likely consisting of monomethylhydrazine and mixed oxides of nitrogen.

Ceres-2’s maiden mission carried eight payloads, six of which were intended to separate after reaching orbit, and all eight payloads were destroyed.

Ceres-2 vehicle assembly and launch processing testing was completed in Haiyang during September 2025 before the vehicle was disassembled and shipped to Jiuquan.

Ceres-2 is based on experiences and technologies derived from the smaller Ceres-1 launch vehicle.

The first, second, and third stages of Ceres-2 are powered by solid rocket motors that burn an undisclosed solid propellant.

Ceres-2 has flown from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and has plans for future missions from various sea-based launch platforms.

Ceres-2’s failure occurred about two days after Galactic Energy’s Ceres-1 returned to flight following a failure in November 2025.

Galactic Energy’s Ceres-2 is a four-stage launch vehicle that uses solid propellant in the first three stages and a storable propellant in the fourth stage.

Ceres-2’s published payload capacity is 1,600 kilograms to low Earth orbit.

The January 17 mission was the first flight of the Ceres-2 launch vehicle and the 24th launch of the Ceres series from Galactic Energy.

Canada has three other active Canadian Space Agency astronauts who are supporting other missions while awaiting flight assignments.

NASA’s SLS rocket with the Orion spacecraft rolled to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in preparation for the Artemis II Moon mission.

David Saint-Jacques’ most recent flight to space occurred in 2019.

The Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP) is a Canadian industry program referenced as contributing robotic systems and vehicles for Moon exploration.

Matt Ramsey is examining lessons learned after Artemis 2 splashdown related to integrating national partners, including careful examination of information-sharing and data-sharing for international cubesats on the mission.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has highlighted a growing Canadian space industry focused on sovereign launch, defence contracts, and capability development in Canada’s north, in some cases alongside funding.

Jeremy Hansen joined Artemis 2 as the Canadian Space Agency crew member participating in the mission.

Artemis 2 mission manager Matt Ramsey oversees integration of Canada as a mission member on the Artemis 2 crew.

Josh Kutryk’s Boeing Starliner-1 mission was changed to uncrewed to address spacecraft issues discovered in the previous Starliner crew test, and Kutryk has not yet been reassigned to a new flight.

Two hours after the SLS rollout on Jan. 17, 2026 the Artemis II crew stood behind the countdown clock at the KSC press site as the rocket continued toward Launch Pad 39B.

Artemis mission allocations are funded differently under Canadarm3 and related Moon programs than ISS allocations funded by Canadarm2.

Canada holds roughly a 2% share of International Space Station activities funded by Canadarm2 and related robotics, enabling Canadian Space Agency flights on average every six years.

Early proposed cuts to the Gateway program are no longer in process, providing a secure pathway for at least the next fiscal year for MDA Space’s Canadarm3 and related Canadian space contracts for industry.

Jenni Gibbons is the backup crewmember for Artemis 2 and will soon be eligible again for a new assignment.

NASA’s Space Launch System rocket rolled out from the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center at 7:01 a.m. ET on Jan. 17, 2026 to begin an up to 12-hour journey to Launch Pad 39B.

The Artemis II crew consists of Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch.

The SLS and Orion stack rolled nearly seven kilometers to Launch Pad 39B on a crawler-transporter during the Jan. 17, 2026 rollout.

The Trump administration recommended an overall NASA budget of $18.8 billion USD ($26.2 billion CAD) for fiscal 2026 while a congressional minibus bill including NASA recommended approximately $24.4 billion USD (nearly $34 billion CAD).

Juan Carlos Cortés, director of the Agencia Espacial Española (AEE), visited the Space Smart Factory of Thales Alenia Space in Rome on 15 January.

Thales Alenia Space is a joint venture between the French company Thales and the Italian company Leonardo.

The Spanish delegation reviewed the strategy of Leonardo’s Division de Espacio during the visit to the Space Smart Factory.