Meet Jeremy Hansen, the First Canadian Headed to the Moon

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The Johnson Area Heart in Houston was buzzing with anticipation on Monday as NASA ready to introduce the 4 astronauts chosen to go on the farthest journey of their lives — to the moon.

Jeremy Hansen, a 47-year-old who served as a fighter pilot within the Royal Canadian Air Pressure, was named as a mission specialist for Artemis II. He spoke to me earlier this week.

This interview was edited and condensed for readability and size.

VI: What was it like to listen to your title introduced?

JH: It’s nonetheless sinking in somewhat bit. It’s considerably surprising to seek out out that I’d be going to the moon. Yesterday was actually particular for me as a Canadian. I simply felt like Canada was on that stage and it wasn’t actually me: It was Canada.

VI: When and the way did you discover out that you’d be on the crew?

JH: Somewhat over two weeks in the past, the president of the Canadian Area Company, Lisa Campbell, referred to as me and stated: “OK, it’s time Jeremy. We’ve been speaking with NASA. We’re going to decide to saying a crew, finalizing a crew roster, and we’d such as you to fly on behalf of Canada.” That was a reasonably particular cellphone name for me. I used to be permitted to share it with my spouse and youngsters so long as they had been sworn to secrecy.

VI: How did they take it? Your children, particularly. (Mr. Hansen has three youngsters.)

JH: Rather well, tremendous excited. Seemingly not too frightened at this level, which I didn’t know if they’d be. However they appear to have a number of confidence. They’ve watched the house program up shut by their entire life, principally. They usually appear to have a number of confidence that we’ll make the precise decisions, we’ll take good dangers. I’m certain they’ll get nervous, like I’ll, most likely the day earlier than. However proper now we’re feeling nice about it.

VI: You’re one of many two mission specialists. What sort of coaching will you do for that function?

JH: We actually don’t have particular roles. It’s the primary time the automobile flies with people on it, so we are going to develop this over the subsequent 18 months, the place we shall be working with the broader staff as a crew, determining what must get finished to make this successful, after which we’ll begin dividing up the duties.

VI: What’s probably the most concerned stage of the flight whenever you’ll be the busiest?

JH: The primary 18 hours appear to be they’re going to be actually busy as a result of there’s a restricted period of time earlier than we go away low-Earth orbit and decide to going to the moon. In these 18 hours, we have to try each system and functionality on the automobile, ensure that it’s working the way in which we anticipate it to. We’re additionally going to make use of that point to do some guide flying across the booster that bought us there as a result of we have to have the potential to dock sooner or later, to go all the way down to the floor of the moon.

VI: What would be the spotlight, for you, of the mission?

JH: It has bought to be the angle. The prime minister called me final week to congratulate me and he highlighted that solely 24 people have ever seen the complete Earth, your complete Blue Marble hanging in house.

VI: Earlier than we end, I’ve two enjoyable questions. What’s your favourite house film?

JH: The newest one which I liked probably the most was “The Martian.” I simply love how that film captured — and I learn the e book, too — the problem-solving method of house tradition, how we try this right here, in Mission Management and in management facilities all over the world. It additionally captured that spirit of “simply don’t hand over.” You don’t need to know that you simply’re going to outlive. However you do need to know that you’ve an opportunity and you need to simply maintain making an attempt. I really like that.

VI: On one other notice, you’ll even be consuming house meals for 10 days whereas on the mission. What would you select as your first meal again?

JH: Wow, you’re getting forward of me. I haven’t spent any mind time on that.

VI: Any Canadian delicacy or something that you simply have a tendency to succeed in for?

JH: I’m going to need to assume on that. No, I’m not able to reply that one, I don’t need to choose that meal but. I’ll see what I’m craving.

VI: On a ultimate notice, what’s your message to Canadians as you embark on this new chapter for Canada’s house program?

JH: The message for Canadians is that we’re already doing wonderful issues. I believe we’ve a cultural tendency — I do know I do — to maintain ourselves just a bit bit small. I would like Canada to stretch out and understand we’ve a very necessary contribution to make on the world stage. We must be daring.

  • Alanis Obomsawin grew to become the primary feminine filmmaker to win the Edward MacDowell Medal, which acknowledges artists in the USA who make important contributions of their area. Ms. Obomsawin, 90, is a member of the Abenaki Nation and grew up in Quebec.

  • A mass hunt of 1,150 bison by eight Indigenous tribes that came about in Montana in an space simply outside Yellowstone National Park has led to an outcry from environmental teams. Native officers deemed the hunt essential to partially cull the herd to stop illness from spreading amongst livestock.

  • A brand new report, co-written by a Canadian scientist, analyzed a long time of well being analysis and located that moderate drinking has no health benefits.

  • Gia Kourlas, The Occasions’s dance critic, opinions “Angels’ Atlas,” which was choreographed by Crystal Pite at the National Ballet of Canada.


Vjosa Isai is a reporter-researcher for The New York Occasions in Canada. Comply with her on Twitter at @lavjosa.


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