Canada Celebrates as CSA Astronaut Hansen Launches on Artemis II Moon Mission

Canada watched with anticipation as CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen launched aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft.

“LONGUEUIL, QC, on March 30, 2026 /CNW/ - The astronaut from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Jeremy Hansen will soon launch aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft as part of the Artemis II mission that will fly over the Moon”

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Hansen is the first Canadian to venture beyond low-Earth orbit and around the Moon.

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Public viewing events were held nationwide, including at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum with astronaut David Saint-Jacques.

The Prime Minister emphasized Canada as only the second nation to send an astronaut on a lunar mission.

The Artemis II mission launched successfully from Kennedy Space Center with Hansen and three Americans aboard.

The Orion capsule detached from the SLS core stage and placed itself into Earth orbit.

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The crew will travel beyond the Moon and back, covering more than 400,000 kilometers.

The launch was greeted with cheers from the CSA viewing party where nearly 200 people gathered.

The mission's success stood in stark contrast to the tumultuous geopolitical backdrop between Canada and the US.

Carney congratulated NASA despite a fraught relationship with Trump.

The launch unfolded hours after the US-Israeli strikes initiated a wider Middle East war.

Carney noted they discussed the courage of the astronauts and the developments in the Middle East.