Astronaut Jeremy Hansen named special adviser on space

Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed astronaut Jeremy Hansen as a special adviser on space. Hansen will advise Carney and Industry Minister Mélanie Joly on the file.

Hansen announced the appointment in a social media post. He said he hopes to build on Canada's strengths in the field.

Joly said Hansen has proposed helping the government craft a new space strategy. She said the strategy would aim to expand industrial innovation and get more Canadians into space. The Globe and Mail reported the appointment.

Hansen is a Canadian Space Agency astronaut. In April, as part of the Artemis II mission, he and three other astronauts travelled around the moon and further into space than any humans before them. The Canadian Space Agency said the mission completed its lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, with Hansen among the crew.

Carney spoke with the Artemis II crew on April 8, 2026. He praised Hansen and said he was proud to see a Canadian in space.

The appointment comes as Canada seeks to expand space co-operation with European countries. Washington has warned that it can seek partners other than Canada for its space missions.