Who is Jeremy Hansen? This Artemis II astronaut is first Canadian ever to fly around the Moon

Jeremy Hansen is set to become the first Canadian astronaut to fly around the moon. Hansen is part of the four-member crew of the Artemis II mission being launched by NASA on April 1.

Canada will script history when Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen becomes the first Canadian – and first non-American – to ever participate in a lunar mission.

Who is Jeremy Hansen?

Born on January 27, 1976, Hansen was raised on a farm near Ailsa Craig, Ontario, until moving to Ingersoll for his high school years, according to his biography shared by the CSA.

Hansen is married and has three children. He enjoys sailboat cruising and racing, rock climbing and mountain biking.

Jeremy Hansen's early life: Jeremy Hansen joined 614 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron at the age of 12, beginning his journey into aviation. He earned his Air Cadet glider pilot wings at age 16 in Trenton, Ontario.

At the age of 17, Hansen earned his private pilot licence. This training lead to his acceptance to Royal Military College Saint-Jean in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec.

Jeremy Hansen's education: In 1999, Hansen graduated with a bachelor's degree in honours space science (bachelor of science in space science) from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario.

He earned a master of Science in physics from the same institution in 2000, with a research focus on Wide Field of View Satellite Tracking.

He completed CF-18 Fighter Pilot Training at 410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron in 2003.

In 2011, he graduated from Astronaut Candidate Training and started working at the Mission Control Center as capcom — the voice between the ground and the International Space Station.

Jeremy Hansen's career: Jeremy Hansen served as a CF-18 fighter pilot with 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron and 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron as well as the Combat Operations Officer at 4 Wing Operations where his responsibilities included "effectiveness of NORAD Operations, Deployed Exercises and Arctic Flying Operations."

In 2009, Colonel Hansen was one of two recruits selected by the CSA through the third Canadian Astronaut Recruitment Campaign.

In 2013, "Jeremy Hansen participates in the European Space Agency's CAVES program in Sardinia, Italy, during which he lives underground for six days. He has the privilege of inspiring young Canadians by flying the historical Hawk One F-86 Sabre jet," his profile on CSA read.

In 2017, Jeremy Hansen became the first Canadian to be entrusted with leading a NASA astronaut class -- meaning that he was in charge of training astronaut candidates from the United States and Canada.

Jeremy Hansen is assigned to the Artemis II mission in 2023.

About Artemis II

Artemis II, with the 32-story Space Launch System rocket, is poised to blast off Wednesday evening with a two-hour launch window beginning at 6:24 p.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Artemis astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will be on board. They’ll hurtle several thousand miles beyond the moon, hang a U-turn and then come straight back. No circling around the moon, no stopping for a moonwalk — just a quick out-and-back lasting less than 10 days.

NASA promises more boot prints in the gray lunar dust, but not before a couple practice missions.

Unlike the Apollo missions that sent astronauts to the moon from 1968 through 1972, Artemis’ debut crew includes a woman, a person of color and a Canadian citizen.

Artemis II is the opening shot of NASA’s grand plans for a permanent moon base. The space program is aiming for a moon landing near the lunar south pole in 2028.

(With inputs from agencies)