CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist is assisted off the flight deck after arriving aboard USS John P. Murtha after he and fellow crewmates NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; and Christina Koch, mission specialist were extracted from their Orion spacecraft after splashdown, Friday, April 10, 2026, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. NASA’s Artemis II mission took the quartet on a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. Following a splashdown at 5:07 p.m. PDT (8:07 p.m. EDT), NASA, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force teams are working to bring the Orion spacecraft aboard the recovery ship. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Artemis II mission has concluded successfully following a safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10th, bringing four astronauts back to Earth after a historic 10-day journey around the Moon. Among the crew was Canadian Space Agency astronaut and former 4 Wing and Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Cold Lake member Colonel Jeremy Hansen, who completed the mission as Canada’s first representative on a lunar mission.
The Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at high speed before deploying parachutes and landing off the coast of California, where recovery teams from the United States Navy quickly secured the capsule and assisted the crew. The mission marked the first time humans have travelled to the vicinity of the Moon since the Apollo era, and served as a critical test flight for NASA’s broader Artemis program.
Hansen flew alongside NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch. Together, the crew completed a lunar flyby, travelled farther from Earth than any humans in over 50 years, and conducted systems checks that will inform future deep-space missions.
A graduate of the Royal Canadian Air Force and a former instructor at 4 Wing, Hansen’s participation has been widely recognized as a milestone for Canada’s space program. His role also reflects decades of Canadian contributions to international space exploration, including robotics and mission support systems used throughout the Artemis program.
The Canadian Space Agency confirmed that Hansen and his crewmates are in good health following recovery and will undergo post-mission evaluations and debriefings in the coming days.
Officials from NASA described the mission as a key step toward future lunar landings planned later this decade, with Artemis III expected to return astronauts to the Moon’s surface.
