Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who captivated the world when he flew across the moon alongside three American crewmates throughout the Artemis II mission in April, stated Monday that he would step again from a full-time astronaut position in September.
In a social media put up, Hansen stated the transfer was “far from a departure,” as he would transition to function a reservist member of the Royal Canadian Air Force in a deliberate transfer “to leave the door open for creative, ongoing ways to support and enable the vital work happening in Canada with respect to space.”
In an announcement, the Canadian Space Agency stated that Hansen will “pursue new professional opportunities” and praised his “leadership, dedication and professionalism.”
“Through his work with CSA, NASA and other partners, he contributed to a historic new chapter for Canada in space,” the statement reads. “He also inspired Canadians across the country, especially young people, helping them see themselves in the future of exploration.”
Neither Hansen nor the space agency specified what alternatives he could discover after stepping again within the fall.
Hansen’s departure will depart CSA with three lively astronauts, together with David Saint-Jacques, Joshua Kutryk and Jenni Gibbons.
“On behalf of all Canadians, I extend my gratitude to Canadian Space Agency astronaut Colonel Jeremy Hansen for his extraordinary service to Canada and his remarkable contributions to space exploration,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated in a statement that additionally praised the astronaut’s historical past as a fighter pilot and his history-making foray with the Artemis II mission that “united millions of Canadians around a single mission.”
Hansen famous in his social media put up that his choice got here “after 32 years of military service and 17 years as a Canadian Space Agency astronaut —culminating in the incredible privilege of flying around the Moon on Artemis II.” He described his choice as one that will permit him to take a “significant next step” in his profession.
Hansen’s spouse, Catherine, wrote in a social media remark that “anyone who knows my husband, you’ll know he’s not done. Not even close.”
“This decision to join the military reserves is actually an expansion of his role in the Canadian space sector and a way to ensure he can focus on meeting the demands of a rising Canada and share in collaborative partnerships toward a common goal,” she wrote, with out specifying a possible position.
Hansen was the one worldwide astronaut to fly aboard the Artemis II mission in April. It grew to become the primary journey people had taken to the neighborhood of the moon in additional than 50 years and set a document for the farthest into space people have ever traveled at 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers).
Hansen flew alongside NASA’s Reid Wiseman, a Navy take a look at pilot who served as commander of the mission; Victor Glover, a naval take a look at pilot who grew to become the primary Black individual to journey to deep space; and Christina Koch, an engineer and record-holding astronaut who grew to become the primary girl to enterprise to the moon.
Wiseman shared pictures from time spent with Hansen over time on Instagram. “Jeremy and I have been on this journey for 17 years,” Wiseman famous, calling Hansen one among his closest mates.
Wiseman stated Hansen’s character has by no means modified. “He’s thoughtful, humble, steady under pressure, and the kind of person who makes everyone around him better. Those are the qualities that make him an incredible crewmate and an even better friend.”
Wiseman stated that he was proud to observe Hansen’s subsequent chapter unfold.
During their 10-day journey, Koch, Wiseman, Glover and Hansen routinely shared stay footage of themselves aboard the 16.5-foot-wide (5-meter) Orion capsule. It was Hansen who shared throughout a stay broadcast from the mission that the crew wished to call a crater on the lunar floor after Wiseman’s late spouse, Carroll, visibly getting emotional and bringing the crew collectively for one of many most memorable moments from Artemis II.
Upon their return, Hansen stated that the human expertise was a unprecedented one for him and his crewmates and relished that spectators the world over appeared to share of their pleasure.
“We have a term in our crew that we coined a long time ago, the ‘joy train,’” Hansen said. “And it sounds like you saw a lot of joy up there. There was a lot of joy. We’re not always on the joy train, this crew, there are many times we’re not on the joy train, but we are committed to getting back on the joy train as soon as we can. And that is a useful life skill for any team trying to get something done.”
NASA intends to comply with up the Artemis II mission with Artemis III, a flight to low-Earth orbit that can try to check how NASA’s Orion capsule can dock with a lunar lander. The Artemis IV mission, anticipated to be the primary in this system to land people on the moon’s floor, is deliberate to launch as quickly as 2028.
In an announcement posted to the social media platform X, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that Hansen “represented the Canadian Space Agency with the utmost distinction.”
“As an astronaut, he studied and trained for years, and when he was selected for the incredible Artemis II crew and their mission to journey around the Moon, he executed with humility, precision, and professionalism,” Isaacman stated. “Jeremy and the Artemis II crew have now passed the torch to Artemis III and the colleagues who will carry the fire of exploration back to the lunar surface.”
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