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Decision announced after a historic mission ends an important stage of Jeremy Hansen’s career, the first Canadian to travel around the Moon, while keeping his connection with the Armed Forces and the development of the country’s space sector open.
The Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen will end his role as an active member of the Canadian Space Agency in September 2026, a few months after participating in Artemis II, a mission that took humans to the vicinity of the Moon for the first time since the end of the Apollo program.
Announced by the Government of Canada on July 6, in Longueuil, in the province of Quebec, the change does not represent a complete break with public service, as Hansen will remain connected to the Armed Forces as a reservist of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Jeremy Hansen will remain connected to the Canadian space sector
Although leaving the permanent astronaut staff, Hansen has not yet detailed which professional projects he intends to take on after the transition, while Canadian authorities stated that his experience will continue to be relevant for the development of strategic initiatives related to the country’s space exploration.
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Commenting on the decision, the colonel thanked the Armed Forces, the Canadian Space Agency, and the public for the opportunity to serve for 32 years, adding that he remains “as committed as ever” to strengthening Canada and its space leadership.
With 17 years of service as an astronaut for the Canadian agency, Hansen built a career marked by specialized training, operational roles, and leadership positions, becoming, in 2017, the first Canadian responsible for commanding the preparation of a class of NASA astronauts.
Before joining the space program, the military pilot flew CF-18 fighters in the 441 and 409 tactical squadrons and also worked as a combat operations officer, an experience that preceded his selection in the Canadian astronaut recruitment conducted in 2009.
Artemis II set a distance record in space
Departing from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Artemis II launched on April 1, 2026, carrying the Orion capsule and four astronauts on a journey of approximately ten days around the Moon.
Alongside Hansen, the mission included NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, who returned to Earth on April 10 after testing systems considered essential for the next stages of the Artemis program.
During the farthest point of the trajectory, Orion reached 252,756 miles from Earth, a distance equivalent to approximately 406,771 kilometers, surpassing the mark achieved in 1970 by the Apollo 13 astronauts and setting a new record for human space travel.
Besides the distance milestone, Hansen’s participation was historically significant for Canada, as he became the first Canadian and the first non-American astronaut to join a lunar mission, expanding international presence in crewed operations near the Moon.
While traversing deep space, the crew captured images of the lunar surface and Earth seen from great distances, including a photograph released by NASA showing the planet disappearing behind the horizon during the passage by the far side of the Moon.
Journey ended a wait of over five decades
Considered the first crewed flight of the Artemis program, the mission also marked the resumption of human travel to the vicinity of the Moon since the 1970s, when the Apollo program operations were concluded after a series of lunar landings and explorations.
In real deep space conditions, the operation allowed for the evaluation of the Orion capsule’s performance, its navigation, communication, and crew support systems, gathering necessary information to prepare for the upcoming missions planned within the lunar program conducted by NASA.
In the years leading up to the launch, the four astronauts participated in survival, navigation, geology, and spacecraft equipment operation training, as well as activities conducted in environments prepared to simulate challenges similar to those encountered during long-duration space travel.
Among these experiences, Hansen participated in the CAVES and NEEMO programs, spending several days in an underground cave and the Aquarius underwater habitat, locations used to simulate isolation, operational pressure, and collective work under conditions considered extreme.
Cooperation led Canadian to lunar mission
Chosen in 2023 to serve as a crew specialist, Hansen earned the position amid the cooperation maintained between Canada and the United States in the areas of training, technological development, and preparation for human operations beyond low Earth orbit.
This partnership also involves projects aimed at the future human presence on the Moon, including equipment, robotic systems, and structures planned to support longer missions, although Hansen’s participation in Artemis II represented the most visible Canadian achievement up to that point.
Recognizing his career, the Canadian government highlighted the leadership, dedication, and professionalism demonstrated by the astronaut throughout his career, while Industry Minister Mélanie Joly emphasized his contribution to expanding the country’s presence in space exploration.
Even without revealing what his next professional role will be, Hansen will maintain his military connection and may continue to be involved in space initiatives, preserving an institutional link built over decades of service in the Armed Forces and the Canadian Space Agency.
The transition to reserve status ends the active phase of a career marked by aerial operations, international training, and lunar exploration, but leaves open the role the astronaut may assume in the development of new strategic projects for the Canadian space sector.
After reaching the greatest distance ever traveled by humans and placing Canada for the first time on a lunar mission, what should be Jeremy Hansen’s next role in the development of the Canadian space program?
