Canadian Astronaut Jeremy Hansen to Leave the Canadian Space Agency

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published July 6, 2026

Latest news on WhatsApp أجدد الأخبار على واتساب

Canadian astronaut Colonel Jeremy Hansen will leave his active role at the Canadian Space Agency in September 2026, closing a major chapter in one of the most symbolic careers in Canada’s space program.

The Canadian Space Agency announced Monday that Hansen will pursue new professional opportunities while continuing to serve as a reservist with the Royal Canadian Air Force. The announcement comes only months after Hansen became the first Canadian and first non-American to fly around the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis II mission.

Hansen’s departure is not simply a staffing change inside a federal agency. It marks the transition of a public figure who helped place Canada at the centre of the new era of lunar exploration. His role on Artemis II gave Canada a highly visible place in a mission watched around the world and reinforced the country’s long-standing reputation as a trusted partner in international space programs.

Artemis II carried Hansen alongside NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch on a mission around the Moon in April 2026. According to the Canadian Space Agency, the crew travelled more than 1.1 million kilometres over nearly 10 days, going farther than any humans in history and surpassing the distance reached by Apollo 13.

For Canada, Hansen’s flight was the result of years of investment in space robotics, scientific cooperation and international partnerships. His seat on Artemis II reflected Canada’s role in the Artemis program and its contribution to future lunar exploration, including advanced space technology and robotics.

Hansen, who was selected as a Canadian astronaut in 2009, came to the space program with a background as a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot and a strong academic foundation in space science and physics. Over the years, he held training, leadership and operational roles, including work supporting missions to the International Space Station.

His departure raises a broader question for Canada’s space sector: how to preserve the momentum created by Artemis II and turn a moment of national pride into long-term interest in science, engineering, robotics and space exploration among young Canadians.

The Canadian Space Agency said Hansen’s career has left a lasting legacy for the country’s space program, highlighting his contribution to public engagement, education and Canada’s presence on the global space stage.

The next phase of Hansen’s career has not yet been detailed publicly. But his name will remain closely tied to a historic moment in Canadian science: the mission that carried a Canadian farther from Earth than any Canadian had ever gone before.