Jeremy Hansen
Canadian astronaut (born 1976)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jeremy Roger Hansen (born January 27, 1976) is a Royal Canadian Air Force colonel and CSA astronaut. As a mission specialist on Artemis II in April 2026, he became the first person not from the United States to travel beyond low Earth orbit and the first to travel to the vicinity of the Moon.[1] He is also among the humans who have travelled the farthest from Earth, having broken Apollo 13's distance record with the rest of the Artemis II crew.
January 27, 1976
Jeremy Hansen | |
|---|---|
Hansen in 2023 | |
| Born | Jeremy Roger Hansen January 27, 1976 London, Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater | Royal Military College (BSc, MSc) |
| Spouse | Catherine Hansen |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | |
| Space career | |
| CSA astronaut | |
Time in space | 9 days, 1 hour, 32 minutes |
| Selection | |
| Missions | Artemis II |
Mission insignia |  |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  Canada |
| Branch |  Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Service years | 1994–present |
| Rank | Colonel |
Hansen was selected by the Canadian Space Agency in the 2009 astronaut recruitment alongside David Saint-Jacques. Before joining the astronaut corps, Hansen served as a Royal Canadian Air Force captain, piloting the CF-18 fighter jet at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta and was later promoted to the rank of colonel.
Early life and education
Jeremy Roger Hansen was born in London, Ontario, on January 27, 1976, the son of Gary Hansen and Nancy Good. His paternal grandfather Magnus Hansen emigrated from Denmark to Canada in 1929.[2] He was raised on a farm near Ailsa Craig before moving to Ingersoll for his high school education.
At age 12, he joined 614 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron in London, Ontario.[3][4]
After graduating from Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute, Hansen attended the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario, where he completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in space science in 1999 with First Class Honours.
He later earned a Master of Science degree in physics from the Royal Military College in 2000, with research focused on wide field‑of‑view satellite tracking.[5]
Career
In 2013, Hansen served as a cavenaut in the European Space Agency's CAVES training programme in Sardinia, alongside Satoshi Furukawa, Michael Barratt, Jack Fischer, Aleksei Ovchinin, and Paolo Nespoli.[6]
On June 10, 2014, NASA announced that Hansen would take part in the NEEMO 19 undersea exploration mission as an aquanaut aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory.[7] The mission began on September 7, 2014, and lasted seven days.[8][9]
Artemis II
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On April 3, 2023, Hansen was announced as the first Canadian to travel to the vicinity of the Moon,[10] as part of the Artemis II mission. On April 1, 2026, he launched as a mission specialist of Artemis II and flew around the Moon on April 6 before returning to earth via splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10.[11] He became the first non‑American astronaut to travel beyond low Earth orbit and the first to journey to the vicinity of the Moon. He is also, along with the other Artemis II crew members, among the humans who have travelled the farthest from Earth.[12]
Personal life
Hansen is married to Catherine Hansen, a medical doctor and expert in women's health, and has three children.[5] Hansen is interested in Indigenous knowledge. His mission patch for Artemis II was designed by an Anishinaabe artist by the name of Henry Guimond, of Sagkeeng First Nation and references the Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers.[13] His hobbies include mountain biking, rock climbing, and sailboating.[14]
Honours and awards
- Canadian Forces' Decoration – 12 years of service (October 2006)[13]
- Royal Canadian Air Force pilot wings (May 2002)[15]
- Clancy Scheldrup Memorial Trophy – outstanding graduate on the Basic Flying Course (2001)[16]
- Air Cadet League of Canada Award – top air force graduate from the Royal Military College of Canada (May 1999)[17]
- Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (FRCGS)
- Gold Medal of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (2014)[5]
- Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)[18]
- King Charles III Coronation Medal – British version for contribution to the coronation (May 2023)
- Canada's flag bearer for the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla[19]
- Calgary Stampede Parade Marshal (2023)[20]
