Jeremy Hansen

Jeremy Roger Hansen CD FRCGS (born January 27, 1976) is a Royal Canadian Air Force colonel, aquanaut, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut. As a crew member of Artemis II, he became the first non‑American to travel beyond low Earth orbit and the first to journey to the vicinity of the Moon. He is also among the humans who have travelled the farthest from Earth.

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.

Jeremy Roger Hansen was born on January 27, 1976, in London, Ontario, and 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.

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.

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.

Official crew portrait for Artemis II, from left: NASA Astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Hansen

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 crew member of Artemis II and flew around the Moon on April 6, 2026. 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 traveled the farthest from Earth.

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 an Anishaabe artist and references the Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers. His hobbies include mountain biking, rock climbing, and sailboating.

• Canadian Forces' Decoration – 12 years of service (October 2006)

• Royal Canadian Air Force pilot wings (May 2002)

• Clancy Scheldrup Memorial Trophy – outstanding graduate on the Basic Flying Course (2001)

• Air Cadet League of Canada Award – top air force graduate from the Royal Military College of Canada (May 1999)

• Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (FRCGS)

• Gold Medal of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society

• Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)

• 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

• Calgary Stampede Parade Marshal (2023)

• Jeremy Hansen at IMDb

• CSA Biography of Jeremy R. Hansen

• Spacefacts biography of Jeremy Hansen

• Jeremy R. Hansen on X

• Appearances on C-SPAN