What happened

On April 10, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen splashed down in the Pacific alongside his NASA crew mates after nearly 10 days aboard the Orion spacecraft — completing the first human lunar mission since 1972.

On April 6, the crew broke the record for the farthest distance any human has ever travelled from Earth: 400,000 kilometres, surpassing the mark set by Apollo 13 in 1970.

A Canadian astronaut was part of that record!

Why it matters for Canada

Canada earned its seat on the rocket to the Moon by authoring a vital technology for space.

In 2019, Canada pledged to build Canadarm3, the most sophisticated autonomous robotic arm ever designed, for the Gateway lunar station. The deal: we build the arm no one else can build, NASA gives us a seat on the first crewed lunar mission.

Fast forward to today, the Gateway Project was put on hold, but the work done today is planned to be repurposed by NASA towards building a Lunar Base.

Canadarm2 installed on the ISS in 2001, is still up there doing the job no other country could do.

Notable companies:

Behind Canadarm 3 is a Brampton-based MDA Space (also the company behind all three Canadarms) is now packaging that lunar robotics tech for commercial space stations and satellite servicing.

Longueuil's Advantech Wireless built the ground amplifiers keeping Orion in contact with Houston at 40,000 km/h - a technology essential to support communication in deep space.

Special shoutout:

Meanwhile, a second CSA astronaut, Jenni Gibbons, served as capcom — guiding the crew from ground control the entire mission. Two Canadians. One breakthrough.

What it means for you

Canada's space economy has grown $5 billion annually — and the Artemis moment fuels the narrative. It pushes Canada towards greater space leadership position.

The companies to watch go beyond MDA.

Kepler Communications, a Toronto-based startup, launched 10 optical data relay satellites in January 2026 — building the communications infrastructure that future missions (including Canada's) will depend on.

Magellan Aerospace in Mississauga manufactures critical structural and propulsion components for satellites and defense programs, embedded in programs most Canadians have never heard of.

NordSpace is building Canada's first orbital spaceport in Newfoundland, with 3D-printed rocket engines named after Canadian astronauts.

The impact goes beyond just space.

The precision robotics that built Canadarm gave us NeuroArm — a surgical robot used in brain surgery.

Satellite imaging developed for space now monitors Canadian crops, Arctic ice melt, and wildfire spread in real time.

The AI edge-computing systems being tested on lunar missions are the same architecture going into autonomous vehicles and remote infrastructure.

Space isn't a separate economy for our country. It's R&D that pays dividends across every sector it touches.

Did you know?

Among the 150 grams of mementos Canada was allowed to send aboard Orion, Jeremy had a mission patch designed by Anishinaabe artist Henry Guimond from Sagkeeng First Nation, Manitoba — created specifically to recognize Indigenous Peoples as Canada's original explorers. That patch traveled to the edge of the solar system and came home.

Timbits

🚀 Watch the full lunar flyby moment on the CSA's YouTube

🎓 CSA's Space Exploration program — free education resources if you have kids curious about space after this week

📱 Find an official Lunar Mission wallpaper for your mobile device

🌕️ Get your official Artemis merch from CSA or our custom merch to celebrate this incredible milestone