King Charles has sent a letter to Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen acknowledging Canada’s role in the Artemis II mission, which is scheduled to launch today.
Three men and one woman are set to set out on Wednesday on the first crewed trip to the moon since 1972, a historic journey aimed at launching the US into a new era of space exploration.
The NASA mission, named Artemis II, has been in the making for years after facing repeated setbacks, but is finally scheduled to lift off from Florida on April 1 at 6:24 pm (2224 GMT).
The team of Americans Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Jeremy Hansen, will set out on a nearly 10-day mission and circle Earth’s natural satellite without landing – just like Apollo 8 did in 1968.
The Canadian space agency shared King Charles’ message on its official X,EX Twitter handle and tweeted, “King Charles III sent a letter to @Astro_Jeremy to acknowledge Canada’s role in the Artemis II mission.”
Responding to the monarch’s letter, Jeremy Hansen said, “I was deeply touched to receive this message, which honors the collective vision and dedication behind this historic moment.”
King Charles’ letter reads, “At this historic moment, you stand as a bridge between nations and generations, and I commend you for the courage, discipline and foresight that has brought you to this threshold.”
