A pivotal encounter early in his career set Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a path to orbit the Moon aboard the Artemis II mission.
Early Inspiration from a Hero
During his first year as a cadet at the Royal Military College of Canada in 1995, Hansen met astronaut Chris Hadfield, a fighter pilot whose achievements inspired him deeply. Hansen requested Hadfield’s email address and received it immediately. Hadfield’s advice—to pursue passions—guided Hansen’s steps, leading him to become a fighter pilot and later join the Canadian Space Agency in 2009.
“Jeremy has been preparing for this flight since he was five years old,” Hadfield shared in a March podcast with Canadian singer Emm Gryner.
Childhood Dreams Take Flight
Now 50, Hansen grew up on a farm near London, Ontario, where his love for aviation sparked young. A childhood encyclopedia page featuring Neil Armstrong and the 1969 Apollo Moon landing left a lasting impression. “That page is still burnt in my brain,” Hansen recalled in a recent interview.
He soon turned his treehouse into an imaginary rocket ship, joined air cadets in his teens, and studied space science and physics at university. Hansen advanced to fly CF-18 jets from the Cold Lake base in Alberta and contributed to North American Aerospace Defense Command operations.
Artemis II: A Historic Lunar Orbit
Fourteen years after joining the Canadian Space Agency, Hansen earned a spot on Artemis II, the first crewed Moon mission in over 50 years. The four astronauts will spend 10 days traveling farther from Earth than any humans before, circling the Moon without landing.
Hansen joins mission commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Christina Koch as the sole non-American crew member. He acknowledges the challenges ahead: “To do something never done before means facing likely failure,” Hansen stated in an agency interview. “In space exploration, we commit to bold goals and persist through setbacks.”
Personal Symbols and Hopes
For the journey, Hansen carries four Moon-shaped pendants with birthstones for his wife and three teenage children. His blue spacesuit features a custom mission patch designed by Anishinaabe artist Henry Guimond, incorporating input from Dave Courchene III of Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba. The heptagonal design and animals symbolize Indigenous teachings on love, respect, courage, and humility, honoring Canada’s Indigenous peoples and their knowledge.
Recently, Hansen expressed excitement for his first glimpses of Earth and a future view of the Moon framing our planet. “I hope humanity pauses when four humans reach the Moon’s far side, reflects on our shared imagery, and commits to uplifting one another—creating together, not destroying,” he said.
