Never has a Canadian gone as far as Jeremy Hansen when he circles the Moon aboard the Orion capsule with his three American colleagues from the Artemis II mission.
The 47-year-old Ontarian will thus be the first Canadian in history to venture beyond Earth orbit. The Artemis II mission is to circumnavigate the Moon and serve as a preparatory flight for the Artemis III mission, which will make a stopover on our natural satellite.
Jeremy Hansen’s name was announced Monday morning at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The crew is also made up of Americans Christina Hammock Koch, Victor Glover and G. Reid Wiseman.
“To the Moon!” »
“For decades, thousands and thousands [de Canadiens] have taken up the challenge of bringing tangible value to the international partnership in terms of space exploration, of providing real solutions to problems,” he declared before several hundred people gathered in Houston.
“We are going to the moon together. Let’s go! he said to loud applause from the audience.
True to form, the Federal Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, also present in Houston, had previously declared in English with the overflowing enthusiasm that characterizes him: “We are returning to the moon ! To the Moon! Think about it for a moment: the Moon! »
At the headquarters of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), in Longueuil, where some 200 people gathered to watch the announcement live, the enthusiasm was also at its height.
Marc Garneau, Canada’s first astronaut, recounted how he experienced the announcement of his own flight on May 1, 1984: “I was nervous, I tell you frankly, and when I knew that it would be me who would do the first flight, I must tell you that it took my breath away. I realized at that point that a dream was going to come true. »
A man who will make history
While in Val-d’Or, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also welcomed this appointment. “I have known Jeremy for several years and he is a wonderful man who will make history. Not just as the first Canadian to go to the moon, but the first non-American to do so. »
Mr. Trudeau recalled that you only see the curve of the Earth from the international space station and that only 24 people, all Americans, have traveled far enough to see the entire planet with their own eyes. He took the opportunity to highlight the work of all CSA employees.
Jeremy Hansen is a colonel and CF-18 pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Holder of a master’s degree in physics, he has been an astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency since 2009.
A choice that had to be made
CSA President Lisa Campbell explained what inspired Mr. Hansen’s choice: “Artemis II is really for testing all systems. There was the first flight, which was without humans, and now it’s to test the navigation, the communications interface, a 10-day flight that he’s really going to test. It is because of his experience. He is someone who has a lot of leadership, experience and who is ready to fly. »
Artemis II is scheduled to launch as early as November 2024 and will be the first crewed mission to the Moon since the last Apollo mission flew in 1972.
The crew will orbit Earth and propel themselves hundreds of thousands of miles away for a figure-8 maneuver around the Moon, before their momentum carries them home.
The plan is to put a man and a woman on the Moon in 2025 with a view to the ultimate goal: eventually sending astronauts to Mars.
The inspiration of a generation
To those who wonder what purpose such missions serve, Lisa Campbell first recalled that the space sector generates revenues of $5 billion annually and provides work for 23,000 Canadians. Marc Garneau, for his part, explained that like the Apollo missions more than 50 years ago, “the Artemis missions will stimulate innovation and Canada will participate and this will have significant spinoffs”.
“The other aspect is the fact that it inspires a generation. Since the 40 years of my first flight, I have responded to thousands of young people who themselves want to participate in these careers. »