Ottawa and the rest of Canada are holding their breath as astronaut Jeremy Hansen — the country's first deep-space traveller — prepares for re-entry aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft Friday night, completing the historic Artemis II mission around the Moon.
Chris Hadfield, Canada's most celebrated astronaut and a familiar face to anyone who followed his iconic 2013 ISS mission, offered a reassuring update on the crew's mindset heading into one of the most technically demanding phases of the mission.
"They're focusing on getting it all done right," Hadfield said, capturing the quiet intensity that defines the final hours of any spaceflight.
What Artemis II Means for Canada
Hansen, a Royal Canadian Air Force Colonel and Canadian Space Agency astronaut, made history as the first Canadian to travel beyond low Earth orbit when Artemis II launched earlier this year. His seat on the mission was a direct result of Canada's contribution to the Lunar Gateway program — a partnership that secured a Canadian berth on the Moon-bound crew.
For Canadians, and especially Ottawa residents who've watched Hansen's career unfold through CSA announcements and Parliamentary recognition, Friday's re-entry is the final, nail-biting chapter of that journey.
The Re-Entry Challenge
Re-entry is widely considered one of the most dangerous phases of any crewed spaceflight. The Orion capsule will slam into Earth's atmosphere at speeds exceeding 40,000 km/h, with the heat shield bearing temperatures that could exceed 2,700°C — hotter than the surface of the Sun.
NASA has specifically designed Orion's re-entry profile to handle the higher energy loads that come with a return from lunar distance, as opposed to the gentler returns from the International Space Station. The spacecraft uses a "skip re-entry" technique, briefly dipping into the atmosphere before bouncing back out and then re-entering for splashdown — a manoeuvre never before used on a crewed mission.
Ottawa Watches With Pride
The Canadian Space Agency, headquartered in Longueuil but with deep ties to Ottawa's federal science community, has been tracking the mission closely. Locally, the mission has sparked conversations in Ottawa schools, science centres, and community groups about Canada's growing role in space exploration.
Hansen has spoken publicly about wanting to inspire the next generation of Canadian scientists and engineers — a message that resonates strongly in Ottawa, home to some of Canada's leading research institutions and federal science agencies.
What's Next
If re-entry goes as planned Friday night, splashdown will mark the successful conclusion of the Artemis II test flight — paving the way for Artemis III, which aims to land humans on the lunar surface for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.
For Jeremy Hansen and his crewmates, it's the end of an extraordinary journey. For Canada, it's a moment of national pride that Ottawa has every reason to celebrate.
Source: Global News Ottawa — Artemis II re-entry: Hansen, crew 'focusing on getting it all done right,' Hadfield says
