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2d ago

Jeremy Hansen to Leave Full‑Time Canadian Space Agency Role After Artemis II Moon Flyby

He will transfer into a Royal Canadian Air Force reservist role to pursue new professional opportunities while remaining available to support Canada’s space program.

In this image provided by NASA, The Artemis II crew, clockwise from left, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover, take time out for a group hug inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home on Wednesday, April 7, 2026. (NASA via AP)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 30: The Artemis II astronauts, commander Reid Wiseman, mission specialist Christina Koch, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of CSA (Canadian Space Agency) watch as a video of the ringing of the closing bell is played outside of the Nasdaq Marketside on April 30, 2026 in New York City. The astronauts celebrated their record for the farthest any human has ever traveled into space by ringing the closing bell at Nasdaq. The crew flew in the Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, orbiting around the moon and back while reaching 252,756 miles from Earth. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 29: U.S. President Donald Trump takes questions during an event with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and the Artemis II astronauts, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, commander Reid Wiseman and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of CSA (Canadian Space Agency), in the Oval Office of the White House on April 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. The astronauts set a new record for the farthest any human has ever traveled into space aboard the Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, orbiting around the moon and back while reaching 252,756 miles from Earth. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 30: The Artemis II astronauts, mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of CSA (Canadian Space Agency), pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, commander Reid Wiseman pose for photos outside of the Nasdaq Marketside on April 30, 2026 in New York City. The astronauts celebrated their record for the farthest any human has ever traveled into space by ringing the closing bell at Nasdaq. The crew flew in the Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, orbiting around the moon and back while reaching 252,756 miles from Earth. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Overview

  • Hansen announced on Monday that he will step down from his full‑time astronaut duties in September 2026 and move into a reservist posting with the Royal Canadian Air Force.
  • He made the announcement after flying on NASA’s Artemis II mission in April, when he became the first Canadian to travel beyond low Earth orbit and part of the crew that set a record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth.
  • Hansen framed the reservist move as a “deliberate launchpad” to pursue unspecified professional opportunities while keeping the door open to support Canadian space work and international partnerships.
  • The Canadian Space Agency will have three active astronauts after his transition — David Saint‑Jacques, Joshua Kutryk and Jenni Gibbons — a change that narrows the agency’s immediate active flight roster and could affect short‑term mission staffing.
  • Hansen’s departure highlights Canada’s smaller flight allotment under the Artemis contribution model and underlines the country’s broader role in lunar exploration through robotics and industry commitments such as the Canadarm legacy and planned Canadarm3.