TORONTO – The Canadian astronaut who was part of the historic Artemis II crew that successfully voyaged around the Moon earlier this year is retiring from the nation’s space agency, officials said.
Jeremy Hansen joined Americans Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover on the mission that captured global attention as it advanced NASA’s program to install a sustained presence on the Moon.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Hansen “made history as the first Canadian to venture to the dark side of the Moon.”
The Canadian Space Agency praised him for helping “place Canada’s role in human space exploration on the world stage.”
The agency said Hansen, 50, will be pursuing new professional opportunities from September 2026, but will remain a reservist in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Hansen said in a statement that he remained committed to ensuring “space leadership continues to lift up Canadians and the global community.”
The historic Artemis II mission was widely perceived as an extraordinary success — reviving fascination with space exploration to levels not seen in decades, with the crew taking thousands of photographs and amassing a stunning portfolio of images that captivated people on Earth.
The mission travelled further into space than anyone ever has before.
Source: eNCA
