Artemis II Crew Completes Critical Countdown Rehearsal

On December 20, 2025, the Artemis II crew—including Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen—completed a full Countdown Demonstration Test (CDDT) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This dress rehearsal mimicked launch-day activities from wake-up through spacecraft ingress, giving teams a chance to iron out logistics ahead of the planned 2026 lunar flyby mission. Dressed in their bright-orange Orion Crew Survival System suits, Hansen and his NASA colleagues—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch—followed the historic astronaut walkout path before boarding a transport van to the Vehicle Assembly Building.

Inside, they ascended nearly 300 feet via the mobile launcher elevator to reach the White Room and enter the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity. Closeout crews secured them in their seats, conducted suit leak and comms checks, and closed the hatch—just as they will on launch day. The test covered the final 5.5 hours of the countdown, halting just 30 seconds before simulated liftoff. Real-time challenges, including audio comms issues and life support system checks, were addressed successfully. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman called the exercise “a key milestone” in the agency’s return to crewed lunar missions.

ESA Begins Major Workforce Expansion with 520 New Hires Planned

The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced plans to significantly expand its workforce, with 520 new staff members set to be hired starting in 2026. The decision, approved during ESA’s 342nd Council meeting earlier this month in Milan, reflects growing demands across Earth observation, lunar exploration, and launch infrastructure programs. Of the new positions, approximately 400 represent net growth, while the remaining 120 will replace retiring personnel.

This hiring spree signals ESA’s strategic pivot toward greater autonomy and capability in space operations. Recent initiatives—including contributions to NASA’s Artemis program, development of next-generation launchers like Ariane 6, and expanded climate monitoring via the Copernicus program—have increased the need for engineering, scientific, and mission operations talent. While ESA hasn’t specified which member states will see the largest hiring increases, Canada—though not an ESA member—often collaborates with European agencies on science and robotics, so this expansion could indirectly benefit Canadian researchers and industry partners through future joint ventures.

It’s worth noting that while ESA’s budget remains tightly managed, this workforce boost suggests strong political and institutional support for Europe’s long-term space ambitions—a welcome sign for a continent aiming to punch above its weight in the global space arena.

SpaceX Accelerates Starship Flight 12 Preparations for Early 2026 Launch

At Starbase in Texas, SpaceX is moving swiftly toward its next major milestone: Flight 12 of the Starship system, currently targeting an early 2026 launch window. According to reports from NASASpaceFlight.com, Super Heavy Booster 19 is undergoing rapid assembly, with integration activities advancing in parallel with preparations for the Starship upper stage.

Flight 12 will be a critical test in SpaceX’s iterative development campaign, potentially featuring upgrades aimed at improving reliability, payload capacity, or reusability—though the company has not yet confirmed specific changes. Given the pace of recent ground testing and vehicle stacking, it appears SpaceX is maintaining its aggressive cadence despite regulatory and environmental reviews still underway with the FAA.

For observers, this momentum underscores SpaceX’s unique “test fast, learn faster” philosophy. While other programs move in multi-year planning cycles, Starship’s development resembles a continuous feedback loop—each flight informing the next within months, not years. If Flight 12 stays on schedule, 2026 could see multiple Starship missions, including potential crewed tests or lunar lander demonstrations tied to NASA’s Artemis architecture. Whether you’re cheering from McGregor, Texas, or Merritt Island, Florida, one thing’s clear: the pace of deep-space access is accelerating—and SpaceX is driving much of the momentum.

Citations

• “Artemis 2 crew and teams conduct a Countdown Demonstration Test” – https://spaceq.ca/artemis-2-crew-and-teams-conduct-a-countdown-demonstration-test/
• “ESA to hire 520 new staff as workforce expansion begins in 2026” – https://spacenews.com/esa-to-hire-520-new-staff-as-workforce-expansion-begins-in-2026/
• “Flight 12 vehicles readying for 2026 opener” – https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2025/12/flight-12-vehicles-2026/