Astronaut named as 2023 Calgary Stampede parade marshal

The Calgary Stampede says it’s ‘over the moon’ to announce this year’s parade marshal.

The kickoff to the nine-day festival will be led by Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, the Stampede announced Wednesday.

Read more: Pedro Pascal petitioned to be Calgary Stampede parade marshal

Hansen is set to become the first Canadian to travel to the moon as part of the Artemis II mission — the first crewed mission to leave Earth’s orbit since 1972.

The mission is expected to pave the way for deeper exploration of space, including to Mars.

The 2023 Calgary Stampede runs July 7-16.