Artemis II astronaut Jeremy Hansen stepping down from full-time role

CanadaArtemis II astronaut Jeremy Hansen stepping down from full-time roleHansen was the sole Canadian astronaut to take part in NASA’s Artemis II mission in April.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Jeremy Hansen at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in March ahead of the Artemis II launch.Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 7, 2026, 10:08 AM EDTBy Matt LavietesCanadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen announced Monday that he is stepping down from his full-time role as an astronaut, months after flying around the moon on NASA’s Artemis II mission.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Hansen, 50, said in an Instagram post that he will transition from his role at the Canadian Space Agency, but that the change is “far from a departure.” He described his new role as a “deliberate launchpad designed to leave the door open for creative, ongoing ways to support and enable the vital work happening in Canada with respect to space.” He said he will also continue to serve as a reservist with the Royal Canadian Air Force.“To the Canadian Armed Forces, the CSA, NASA, our international partners, and my family: thank you,” he wrote. “And to all Canadians: thank you for believing in what our country can achieve when we aim high. The mission continues.”Hansen has been in the Royal Canadian Air Force for 32 years and an astronaut with the CSA for 17 years, according to the CSA. In 2013, he participated in the CAVES program, where he lived underground for six days, according to a news release from the CSA. In 2014, he participated in a similar program, NEEMO 19, where he lived and worked on the ocean floor in the Aquarius underwater laboratory and habitat for seven days, according to the release. In 2017, Hansen became the first Canadian to lead a NASA astronaut class, training astronauts from the United States and Canada, according to the release.“Through his distingu...