Jeremy Roger Hansen

How far can a Canadian fighter pilot go? For Jeremy Roger Hansen, the answer was farther from Earth than any human spaceflight crew had travelled before.

Born on 27 January 1976 in London, Ontario, Hansen developed his passion for aviation through the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. He studied space science at the Royal Military College of Canada, graduating in 1999, and completed a master's degree in physics in 2000.

After earning his military pilot wings in 2002, Hansen completed CF-18 fighter training and flew Hornet aircraft with 441 and 409 Tactical Fighter Squadrons. He also served as Combat Operations Officer at 4 Wing, supporting NORAD operations, deployed exercises and Arctic flying activities. His military service earned him the Canadian Forces' Decoration in October 2006.

Selected as a Canadian Space Agency astronaut in 2009, Hansen completed astronaut training in 2011. His work included mission-control communications, international training exercises, scientific fieldwork and leadership in astronaut preparation. In 2017, he became the first Canadian to lead the training of a NASA astronaut class. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

In May 2023, Hansen carried Canada's flag at the Coronation of King Charles III in Westminster Abbey. He also received the United Kingdom's King Charles III Coronation Medal, with Canadian military permission to wear the British honour recorded in official honours documentation.

His defining moment came aboard Artemis II. Launched on 1 April 2026, Hansen joined Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch aboard Orion for a historic flight around the Moon. When the spacecraft returned on 10 April, Hansen had become the first Canadian and first non-American to take part in a lunar mission.

For extraordinary professionalism and leadership during Artemis II, Hansen was approved for the Meritorious Service Cross (Military Division), announced in CANFORGEN 135/26 on 27 July 2026. The official citation recognized his work as a mission specialist during the successful 1–10 April 2026 lunar mission.

On 28 August 2026, Hansen and his three crewmates were presented with the United States Congressional Space Medal of Honor for their exceptional contributions to space exploration.

Hansen concluded his active Canadian Space Agency astronaut career in September 2026 while continuing his Royal Canadian Air Force service as a reservist. From CF-18 fighter pilot to lunar explorer, his achievements connect Canadian military aviation, international cooperation and a new era of human space exploration.