Jeremy Hansen Announced as 1st Canadian to Orbit Moon

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced Monday that Jeremy Hansen will become the first Canadian to fly around the moon as part of NASA's Artemis II mission.

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For as long as he can remember, Jeremy Hansen has wanted to fly into space. It seems he’ll finally get his chance. On Monday, 47-year-old Hansen was assigned as part of a four-man crew for the Artemis II mission. If that happens, tentatively in November 2024, he'll have to wait longer than any other Canadian astronaut for his first flight: 15 years.

With the launch of the Artemis II scheduled for 2024, Canada will become the second country to send astronauts to the moon, according to a CSA press release.

"Being part of the Artemis II crew is both exciting and humbling. I'm excited to leverage my experience, training, and knowledge to take on this challenging mission on behalf of Canada. I'm humbled by the incredible contributions and hard work of so many Canadians that have made this opportunity a reality," said the 47-year-old CSA astronaut, in the release.

According to the release, Hansen's Artemis II flight is a direct result of Canada's contribution of Canadarm3 to the Lunar Gateway. This unmanned vehicle will be designed to explore the lunar surface and find ice. This will be a key component of how to build this base camp.

The donation will also provide Canada with numerous opportunities for lunar exploration, technology demonstrations and commercial activities, as well as another flight to Moon gate.

This is the first manned mission to the Moon since the Apollo program ended 50 years ago. According to a press release, the roughly 10-day mission is designed to test the Orion spacecraft's systems to pave the way for a sustained human presence on the lunar surface.