Artemis II astronauts reunite with Orion; Hansen announces retirement

The Artemis II crew reunited with their Orion capsule at Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, three months after their record-breaking flight around the Moon. The mission set a new record for the farthest distance traveled by humans from Earth, reaching 406,771 kilometers Source: euronewsen; AP News.

Mission recap

The four astronauts — commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen — launched atop NASA's Space Launch System in April, marking humanity's first trip to the Moon in over 50 years Source: AP News. During the visit, Wiseman noted the launch pad was "a lonely place without that rocket on it" Source: euronewsen.

Hansen's retirement

Jeremy Hansen announced he will step back from full-time astronaut duties in September, transitioning to a reservist role in the Royal Canadian Air Force Source: CNN. Hansen called it a "significant next step" after 32 years of military service and 17 years with the Canadian Space Agency Source: CNN. Prime Minister Mark Carney praised his service, saying Hansen "united millions of Canadians around a single mission" Source: CNN.

Looking ahead

The Artemis III crew — three NASA astronauts and Italian ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano — was announced last month. All-male, the selection drew attention because Koch became the first woman to fly around the Moon. Koch said she was not concerned, adding it would be worse to overrule NASA's process "to make it look a certain way" Source: euronewsen; AP News. Artemis IV is planned as early as 2028 with a moon landing by two yet-unnamed astronauts Source: AP News.