Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Calls Astronaut Jeremy Hansen for Artemis II Mission

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a phone call to astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Hansen is designated as Canada's first astronaut to participate in a deep space mission. The call relates to Hansen's role in NASA's Artemis II mission.

Artemis II represents the first crewed flight in NASA's Artemis program, scheduled to orbit the Moon. The mission includes astronauts from the United States, Canada, and Japan. Hansen, a member of the Canadian Space Agency, will join NASA commanders Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover, along with Japan's Takuya Onishi.

plans to launch Artemis II no earlier than September 2025 aboard the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft.

The mission aims to test systems for future lunar landings under the Artemis program. Canada's contribution includes Hansen's involvement, supported by a partnership agreement with NASA dating back to 2020. The Artemis program seeks to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon by the end of the decade.

It involves international partners, with Canada providing the Canadarm3 robotic system for the Lunar Gateway station. Hansen's selection for Artemis II was announced in 2020, marking a milestone for Canadian space exploration.

Minister Carney's call to Hansen underscores Canada's role in the mission.

The conversation highlighted national pride in the achievement, according to reports. Following the call, Hansen continues training at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The Artemis II crew completed integrated simulations in 2023 to prepare for the flight.

NASA has not released a full transcript of the call. Future missions, including Artemis III, will build on this test flight to return humans to the lunar surface.