Col. Jeremy Hansen will become the first Canadian to travel around the moon in 2024, NASA has announced..In the first mission to carry humans around the moon in more than 50 years, Hansen will join Artemis II which could take place as early as 2024..Hansen, 47, — who will be the first non-American to travel around the moon — joins 47-year-old mission commander Gregory Reid Weisman, 46-year-old pilot Victor Glover and 44-year-old mission specialist Christina Koch..Having first been selected as an astronaut in 2009, Artemis II will be Hansen’s maiden voyage into space following years of training in Houston, TX.. Jeremy Hansen .Born in London, ON, the astronaut has been a member of the Canadian Armed Forces since he was 18; in December 2020, Hansen’s participation took a huge leap forward when Canada agreed to be a partner in the lunar initiative and supply hardware for Gateway, a moon-orbiting space station that will serve as platform for lunar science and a home base for expeditions to the surface..His selection signifies the start of a new era for NASA with the US and Canada joining forces with 21 other nations that have signed up to the Artemis program..During an announcement on Monday, François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and industry, said: “Canadians could not be more proud to share this moment with our American partners and friends.”.“This is about investing in the future — let’s inspire the next generation to reach for the stars.”.Artemis II follows an uncrewed test run last year, in which the Orion capsule orbited the moon before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean..The 10-day mission will focus on human operations and life support as it completes a loop around the moon, taking the astronauts around 400,000 km away from Earth. The crew will not land on the moon itself..One of the future Artemis missions will include a second Canadian lunar astronaut, who will fly to Gateway as part of Canada’s contribution.
