Jeremy Hansen

Jeremy Hansen
CD FRCGS
Hansen wearing an orange flight suit
Hansen in 2023
Born
Jeremy Roger Hansen

(1976-01-27) January 27, 1976 (age 50)
London, Ontario, Canada
EducationRoyal Military College of Canada (BSc, MSc)
SpouseCatherine Hansen
Children3
Awards
Space career
CSA astronaut
Time in space9 days, 1 hour, 32 minutes
Selection
MissionsArtemis II
Mission insignia
RetiredSeptember 2026
Military career
Allegiance Canada
Branch
 Royal Canadian Air Force
Service years
1994–present
Rank
Colonel
Hansen's voice
Hansen requesting the naming of Carroll crater
Recorded April 7, 2026

Jeremy Roger Hansen (born January 27, 1976) is a Royal Canadian Air Force colonel and retired CSA astronaut. As a mission specialist on Artemis II in April 2026, he became the only person not from the United States to travel beyond low Earth orbit and to travel to the vicinity of the Moon. 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.

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.

In July 2026, Hansen announced his retirement from the CSA's astronaut program in September, planning to pursue new opportunities in Canada's space program.

Early life and education

Jeremy Roger Hansen was born on January 27, 1976, in London, Ontario, to Nancy Good and Gary Hansen. His paternal grandfather Magnus Hansen emigrated from Denmark to Canada in 1929. 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.

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.

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, Aleksey Ovchinin, and Paolo Nespoli.

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. The mission began on September 7, 2014, and lasted seven days.

Artemis II

Hansen taking images through the Integrity window early in the 2026 Artemis II lunar flyby

On April 3, 2023, Hansen was announced as the first Canadian to travel to the vicinity of the Moon, 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 via splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10. 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.

Retirement from the Canadian Space Agency

Hansen announced his retirement from the astronaut program of the CSA on July 6, 2026. Effective in September 2026, his retirement from active astronaut training is intended to facilitate opportunities for "creative, ongoing ways to support and enable the vital work happening in Canada with respect to space."

Personal life

Hansen is married to Catherine Hansen, a medical doctor and expert in women's health, and has three children. Hansen is interested in Indigenous knowledge. His mission patch for Artemis II was designed by Anishinaabe artist Henry Guimond of Sagkeeng First Nation, and references the Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers. His hobbies include mountain biking, rock climbing, and sailboating.

Honours and awards

Notes

  1. ↑ Hansen is the third astronaut not born in the United States to have flown beyond low Earth orbit. William Anders, who flew on Apollo 8, was born in Hong Kong, and Michael Collins, who flew on Apollo 11, was born in Rome. Both were born to American parents and thus American citizens, and were American astronauts on their respective missions.

References

  1. ↑ "Who is Jeremy Hansen, the Canadian tapped by NASA to fly around the moon?". canadiangeographic.ca. Archived from the original on May 12, 2026. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "Astronaut Jeremy Hansen is retiring from the Canadian Space Agency". CBC News. July 6, 2026. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  3. ↑ departure, Elizabeth Howell But the move "is far from a; Said, " He (July 7, 2026). "Artemis 2's Jeremy Hansen stepping down from active astronaut duty after epic moon mission". Space. Archived from the original on July 9, 2026. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Rummissionen er gået verden rundt: Astronaut ombord har danske rødder". bt.dk (in Danish). Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  5. ↑ Stallone, Lauren (April 2, 2026). "Local air cadets cheer on former member Jeremy Hansen during Artemis II launch". CTVNews. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Artemis II: The Canadian astronauts getting NASA back to the moon | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 "Astronaut Jeremy Hansen's biography". Canadian Space Agency. February 2, 2023. Archived from the original on September 8, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  8. ↑ Sauro, Francesco; De Waele, Jo; Payler, Samuel J.; Vattano, Marco; Sauro, Francesco Maria; Turchi, Leonardo; Bessone, Loredana (July 2021). "Speleology as an analogue to space exploration: The ESA CAVES training programme". Acta Astronautica. 184: 150–166. Bibcode:2021AcAau.184..150S. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.04.003. hdl:11585/819077.
  9. ↑ Chung, Emily (September 8, 2014). "Jeremy Hansen leads undersea 'spacewalks' on NEEMO 19 mission". CBC News. Archived from the original on April 21, 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  10. ↑ Buck, Joshua; Jeffs, William (August 7, 2017) [Originally published June 10, 2014]. Lewis, Robert (ed.). "NASA Announces Two Upcoming Undersea Missions" (Press release). 14-158. NASA. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  11. ↑ Bergin, Chris (June 11, 2014). "NEEMO returns with two new underwater missions". NASASpaceflight. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  12. ↑ Mortillaro, Nicole (April 3, 2023). "'It is glorious,' says astronaut Jeremy Hansen, announced as 1st Canadian to go to the Moon". CBC News. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Artemis II crew return to Earth". CBC News. April 10, 2026. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  14. ↑ Isai, Vjosa (April 11, 2026). "When the Moon Met Canada". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  15. 1 2 "Who is Jeremy Hansen, the Canadian astronaut in the Artemis crew?". BBC. April 2, 2026. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  16. ↑ "A look at Jeremy Hansen, astronaut destined to be first Canadian beyond the moon". Richmond News. April 3, 2023. Archived from the original on April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  17. ↑ "'Be in that moment': Astronaut Jeremy Hansen's wife prepares for his lunar mission". CityNews Montreal. April 1, 2026. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Meet the NEEMO 18 and 19 Crews - NASA". July 21, 2014. Archived from the original on April 10, 2026. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Meet the 4 astronauts who will circle the moon on NASA's Artemis II mission". KPRC. April 3, 2023. Archived from the original on April 4, 2026. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Major Jeremy Roger Hansen". The Governor General of Canada. Archived from the original on April 11, 2026. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Prime Minister announces Canadian delegation to the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III". Office of the Prime Minister of Canada. May 3, 2023. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  22. ↑ "CALGARY STAMPEDE PARADE MARSHAL". Calgary Stampede. June 14, 2023. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.