Jeremy Hansen: From physics to the moon

Col. Jeremy Hansen is making history on the Artemis II mission as first Canadian to fly around the moon. But beneath the surface of the intrepid military man lies an exceptional academic background, deeply rooted in physics and space sciences. 

Born in 1976 in London, Ont., Col. Hansen developed a passion for space exploration at a early age, inspired by the exploits of Neil Armstrong. He joined the air cadets at the age of 12, which allowed him to obtain his glider pilot’s licence at 16, followed by his private pilot’s licence at 17.  

His academic career began in Quebec at the Royal Military College Saint-Jean, before continuing at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) in Kingston, Ont. There, he graduated with honours from a B.Sc. in spacescience in 1999 and completed a master’s degree in physics the following year.  

“It was exactly what he wanted to do” 

Under the supervision of Erwin Batalla, he specialised in tracking Wide Field of View satellites. “He really stood out from the crowd,” recalls his professor, now retired. “He was a very determined student with an exceptional work ethic, very patient, and who got along well with everyone. I know he’s very happy today, because this is exactly what he wanted to do.” 

RMC’s space science program is one of the few in the country to offer specialised training in space physics, covering orbital mechanics, space mission design and analysis, satellite tracking, remote sensing and communications.   

In the field in Labrador and the Arctic 

Gordon Osinski, a professor planetary geology at Western University in London, Ont., played a central role in the Artemis II astronauts’ geological training. He has a long-standing relationship with Col. Hansen. “I met Jeremy in 2012, shortly after he became an astronaut. The Canadian Space Agency was looking to provide its new cohort, which included Jeremy, with enhanced training in geology. Since I lead field expeditions in the Canadian Arctic, they asked me to provide a combination of scientific instruction and operational preparation.” 

Dr. Osinski says the Arctic is an excellent analogue for Mars and the moon due to its isolation and geological structure — particularly the Kamestastin Lake impact crater in northern Labrador, where he carried out research in 2021 and 2023.  “This site is unique in the world for two reasons: it’s a perfectly preserved meteorite impact crater, similar to the millions of craters that dot the moon, and it’s made of anorthosite. This is the white rock that glows when you look at the moon; it’s very rare on Earth, but ubiquitous up there.” 

“All that training was worth it. They’re finally putting into practice what they learned with us in the field.” 

The planetary geology professor describes Artemis II as “an incredibly exciting mission.” “Listening to the astronauts talk about craters and geology from space, I thought to myself that all that training was worth it. They’re finally putting into practice what they learned with us in the field.” 

NASA has chosen Dr. Osinski as part of the geology team for the next Artemis mission — the only researcher from a Canadian university to hold this role. 

As an astronaut, Col. Hansen joins a prestigious line of RMC graduates that includes Marc Garneau, Chris Hadfield and Joshua Kutryk. His journey illustrates the crucial role universities play in training astronauts and advancing knowledge, as Canada prepares to play its part in the resumption of human lunar exploration.