This will be Jeremy Hansen’s first trip to space — and he gets to aim straight for the moon. One of two mission specialists on Artemis II, Mr. Hansen will also make history as the first Canadian to circle around the moon.
Mr. Hansen grew up on a farm outside of London, Ontario. “I can’t recall a period in my life when I didn’t want to be an astronaut,” he said in a 2023 video posted by the Canadian Space Agency.
In 1988, Mr. Hansen joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron. He earned his private pilot’s license five years later, at age 17.
He joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1994, then graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in space science. Mr. Hansen served as a fighter pilot until 2009, when he was selected as one of two recruits for Canada’s astronaut program.
Part of Mr. Hansen’s astronaut training occurred at NASA alongside Reid Wiseman, the Artemis II commander.
Mr. Hansen completed a simulated space mission underground in a cave in Italy with the European Space Agency.
“It’s one of the most dangerous things I’ve ever done,” he said, recalling the 2013 mission in a NASA podcast.
Mr. Hansen also trained as an aquanaut for NASA in 2014, where he simulated moonwalks under the sea.
In the Canadian Space Agency video, Mr. Hansen said he was “thrilled” to be a part of the mission.
“I can’t wait to see our planet from afar, as a backdrop to the moon,” he added. “I am humbled and honored for the opportunity to be the first Canadian to fly there.”
Katrina Miller is a science reporter for The Times based in Chicago. She earned a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Chicago.
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