Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen reflected on his historic Artemis II lunar mission on Thursday, saying it left him with a powerful sense of his connection to all of humanity.<\/p>\n
\u201cSmall and powerless, yet powerful together,\u201d Hansen said at a news conference for the Artemis ll crew at the Houston space centre \u2014 the first since the astronauts returned to Earth.<\/p>\n
The four-person crew \u2014 commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialists Christina Koch and Hansen \u2014 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, Calif., on April 10.<\/p>\n
The 10-day flight saw astronauts travel to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, setting a record for the greatest distance travelled by humans away from Earth.<\/p>\n
Video: Artemis II astronauts, including Canadian Jeremy Hansen, reflect on historic lunar mission<\/p>\n
All four space explorers said they were still grappling with the profound feelings that surfaced while they circled the moon, stared out into the void, and glanced back at Earth as their spacecraft moved farther and farther from its surface.<\/p>\n
Reid said it\u2019s still \u201cvery hard to fully grasp what we just went through.\u201d<\/p>\n
After their return to Earth, the astronauts underwent initial medical checks aboard the ship that recovered them off the San Diego coast. They were then flown to Houston, where they were greeted with a jubilant homecoming at Ellington Field near NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center and Mission Control.<\/p>\n
Astronauts spark worldwide fascination <\/p>\n
The astronauts were watched around the world and praised for the friendship and love they displayed for each other during the mission. In an emotional moment, the crew asked that a lunar crater be named after Wiseman\u2019s late wife, Carroll, who died of cancer in 2020.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe launched as friends, and we came back as best friends,\u201d Reid said.<\/p>\n
Nearly a week after their return, the astronauts\u2019 connection remained clear. They joked about learning to crawl around each other in the tight confines of the Orion capsule \u2014 named Integrity \u2014 and praised each other\u2019s achievements.<\/p>\n
The crew said they were just starting to understand just how much the mission captured the world\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe took your hearts with us and your hearts lifted our hearts,\u201d Koch said.<\/p>\n
Canadian in space <\/p>\n
Hansen, 50, of London, Ont., also made history during the mission as the first non-American to travel beyond low Earth orbit. He is also the first person to speak French while en route to the moon.<\/p>\n
Hansen and his crewmates spoke with Prime Minister Mark Carney while in space. Carney called the mission \u201chugely inspiring\u201d and said Canadians couldn\u2019t be prouder of Hansen and the collaboration with the United States.<\/p>\n
Canada was the first of dozens of nations to join the Artemis program. On Thursday, Hansen and his crewmates praised the international efforts to advance human spaceflight.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need the support of others to do big things,\u201d Hansen said.<\/p>\n
Unlike the Apollo program, which sent men to the moon from 1968 through 1972, the Artemis program is setting the stage for a more permanent human lunar presence and laying the groundwork to send astronauts to Mars.<\/p>\n
Mission accomplished <\/p>\n
NASA\u00a0said the Artemis II crew achieved the mission\u2019s primary objectives: testing its life support systems; manually piloting the Orion spacecraft; performing manoeuvres to propel Orion to the moon and adjust its course; conducting a lunar flyby with unprecedented views of the moon\u2019s far side; and completing a safe re-entry and recovery.<\/p>\n
Glover said the spacecraft \u201cflew like a dream.\u201d<\/p>\n
The mission was not without problems \u2014 the toilet\u2019s primary vent line became clogged and a smoke detector went off. Mission officials also anxiously watched the performance of the Orion capsule\u2019s life-protecting heat shield, which had issues during the initial unmanned Artemis I mission.<\/p>\n
The astronauts said it was important to take all that information back to NASA to solve those problems before the next crew takes flight.<\/p>\n
The crew said they were thrilled by the mission\u2019s outcome and optimistic about the Artemis program\u2019s lofty goals for the future of human space exploration.<\/p>\n
When asked for their advice for future Artemis crews, they said crewmates have to invest in each other, ask questions and remember they\u2019re part of a team.<\/p>\n
\u2014 With files from The Associated Press<\/p>\n
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2026.<\/p>\n
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