When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.Artemis 2 moon astronaut Jeremy Hansen, of the Canadian Space Agency, speaks in front of two Canadian flags. | Credit: Canadian Space AgencyThe first non-American to reach the moon is ready for a new mission.Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, best known for his flight around the moon in April on NASA’s Artemis 2 mission, will step back from active astronaut duty in September.Hansen, who’s also a colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), will next serve as a reservist to “enable the vital work happening in Canada with respect to space,” the astronaut wrote Monday (July 6) in a statement on X.AdvertisementAdvertisement”Our future depends on a fierce continuation of Canadian innovation and exploration in space,” Hansen added. “The technological breakthroughs and economic benefits born from this sector are vital for our country and the world, and I am as determined as ever to push that work forward.”Space sovereignty has come under renewed focus in recent months in Canada. Long-standing efforts at a homegrown launch capability, for example, received a wave of Canadian defense funding in March, with $200 million CDN ($140 million) offered to an in-development spaceport in Nova Scotia over 10 years, plus additional money to eventually get Canadian-made rockets into orbit. Hansen, an astronaut for 17 years, went to the Maritime Launch Services spaceport to attend a suborbital launch last month.But Hansen’s role in recent years also includes significant strides in space diplomacy: In 2026 alone, he and his three Artemis 2 crewmates have been seen at the White House, with congressional committee representatives and …
