Jeremy Hansen
Canadian astronaut on Artemis II; first Canadian to travel beyond Earth orbit.
Last refreshed: 17 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
What does Hansen's completed Moon flight mean for Canada's space future now Gateway is cancelled?
Timeline for Jeremy Hansen
Appeared at JSC post-flight press conference
Artemis II Moon Mission: Crew talk; heat shield answer waitsMentioned in: Third radiation window closes with no data
Artemis II Moon MissionMentioned in: Dose data dark 72 hours on
Artemis II Moon MissionOrion splashes down in Pacific, crew recovered aboard USS Murtha
Artemis II Moon MissionOrion due to splash down; crew recovery planned
Artemis II Moon Mission- Who is Jeremy Hansen?
- Jeremy Hansen is a Canadian Space Agency astronaut and RCAF Colonel serving as Mission Specialist on Artemis II. He is the first Canadian to travel beyond Earth orbit.Source: CSA astronaut biography
- Why is Canada part of the Artemis mission?
- Canada's CSA negotiated a crew berth in exchange for providing Gateway hardware (Canadarm3). When Gateway was cancelled in 2026, Canada retained the Artemis II seat.Source: NASA-CSA agreement records
- Has Jeremy Hansen been to space before?
- No. Artemis II is Jeremy Hansen's first spaceflight. He has been a CSA astronaut since 2009 and has trained extensively but had not previously launched.Source: CSA astronaut biography
- What does Gateway cancellation mean for Canada's space programme?
- NASA cancelled the Lunar Gateway in March 2026, stranding Canada's $1 billion CAD Canadarm3 contract with MDA Space. Hansen's Artemis II flight is now Canada's primary remaining stake in the programme.Source: Gateway cancellation event
Background
Jeremy Hansen served as Mission Specialist on Artemis II, launched 1 April 2026 and splashed down 10 April, making him the first Canadian to leave Earth orbit and travel toward the Moon. He attended the post-flight press conference at JSC on 16 April. His flight is Canada's most prominent return on decades of space programme investment following NASA's cancellation of the Lunar Gateway, which stranded the $1 billion CAD Canadarm3 contract with MDA Space.
Hansen is a Royal Canadian Air Force colonel and Canadian Space Agency astronaut (selected 2009). Artemis II was his first spaceflight. His selection fulfilled a long-standing CSA-NASA agreement: Canada's Artemis contribution originally anchored in Gateway hardware entitled Canada to an early crew berth. Gateway's cancellation did not revoke the berth, but left the framework for future Canadian participation in deep-space missions to be renegotiated.
Hansen's completed flight is the most visible symbol of what the Canada-US space partnership has produced, and its fragility. With Gateway gone, the CSA must negotiate a new basis for future Artemis crew and hardware opportunities.
