Colonel Jeremy Hansen Set for Historic Artemis II Mission to the Moon

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen and his Artemis II crewmates use a simulator of the Orion capsule to run through a mission simulation – Photo from NASA

A former Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Cold Lake CF-18 fighter pilot is preparing for one of the most significant space missions in decades.

Colonel Jeremy Hansen, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut and Royal Canadian Air Force officer, is scheduled to launch aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission, a crewed flight that will send four astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth. Originally targeting an earliest launch opportunity of February 8, 2026, the mission has now been pushed to March following delays encountered during testing.

If the mission proceeds as planned, Hansen will become the first Canadian to travel to lunar distance — a major milestone for Canada’s space program.

Before becoming an astronaut, Hansen spent several years as a fighter pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). He completed CF-18 training in 2003 with 410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron at CFB Cold Lake, then served with 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron and 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron. In 2009, he was selected by the Canadian Space Agency to join the astronaut corps.

Artemis II is the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and establish a long-term presence there. While Artemis II will not include a lunar landing, it is a critical test flight.

During the approximately 10-day mission, Hansen and his crewmates will fly aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft, launched by the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The spacecraft will travel thousands of kilometres beyond the Moon before looping around it and returning to Earth.

The crew will test spacecraft systems, life-support equipment, communications, and navigation in deep space — ensuring everything performs as expected before future missions attempt landings on the lunar surface.

NASA continues preparations at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, including final testing and rehearsals with the fully fueled rocket. Weather and technical readiness will ultimately determine the exact launch date.

Hansen will fly alongside NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (Commander), Victor Glover (Pilot), and Christina Koch (Mission Specialist).