Canadian Astronaut: Artemis II Shows We Can Do Big Things

A Canadian just orbited the moon for the first time in human history, and astronaut Jeremy Hansen says it proves his country can accomplish anything when people work together toward big dreams.

Hansen splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10 after a 10-day mission that took four astronauts farther from Earth than any humans in more than 50 years. He became the first non-American to travel around the moon, capturing images of lunar surfaces never before seen by human eyes.

Speaking from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Hansen was quick to share the credit. He said the achievement "had very little to do with me" and everything to do with decades of work by Canadian visionaries who made this moment possible.

"What this should do is shine a spotlight on what we're capable of as a country," Hansen said. "I do think we keep ourselves small. We need to set big goals."

The mission alongside commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Christina Koch broke distance records and delivered breathtaking moments. Hansen said choosing a single highlight was impossible because each milestone felt worthy of the entire journey.

From the rocket launch to floating weightless in space, from watching Earth shrink in the window to seeing a solar eclipse behind the moon, Hansen said the experiences kept coming. The final splashdown in the Pacific Ocean was, in his words, "one for the books."

Nearly a week after returning home, Hansen said he's still processing what he witnessed. Every day brings new memories from the mission flooding back.

The Ripple Effect

Hansen returned with a renewed perspective on humanity's place in the universe. Looking back at Earth from deep space, he felt both insignificant and incredibly powerful at the same time.

"You're on this ball in space. It's this oasis," he said. The view reinforced that human achievement happens through collective effort, not individual glory.

He wants the mission to inspire a simple question: What's next? Hansen believes Canada should celebrate this extraordinary accomplishment, then immediately set its sights on the next big challenge.

The astronaut also emphasized that pursuing ambitious goals doesn't mean sacrificing joy along the way. "It was hard, it was challenging, it was dangerous. But it was the time of our lives," Hansen said.

He made it back just in time to celebrate his anniversary with his wife. "That was a close one," he laughed.

Now Hansen hopes both future explorers and everyday Canadians will remember what the Artemis II mission proved: when people join together on teams doing creative work, the impossible becomes possible.