Canadian Astronaut Jeremy Hansen Becomes First Canadian to Head to Moon
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen became the first person from Canada to head to the Moon when he and three other crew members launched on NASA's Artemis II mission on April 1, 2026. The crew has now left Earth's orbit and is heading toward the Moon.
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen made history on April 1, 2026, when he launched as part of NASA's Artemis II mission, becoming the first Canadian to travel toward the Moon. Hansen and three other astronauts have now executed what's called a "translunar ignition" - essentially firing their engines to leave Earth's orbit and head to the Moon.
Hansen was first announced for this historic role on April 3, 2023, when NASA selected him for the Artemis II crew. The mission represents a major step in NASA's plan to return humans to the Moon's surface.
Before his lunar journey, Hansen had already broken ground as the first Canadian to lead a NASA astronaut training class, overseeing the preparation of new astronauts from both the United States and Canada.
The Artemis II mission is designed to fly around the Moon and return to Earth, testing the systems that will eventually land astronauts on the lunar surface in future missions.
This marks a historic milestone for Canada's space program and shows the country's growing role in lunar exploration. The mission brings humans closer to returning to the Moon's surface for the first time since 1972.
The crew will continue their journey to orbit the Moon before returning to Earth in the coming days.
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