Science & Tech
Canadian Geographic is following this history-making mission, which saw Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen become the first Canadian to fly around the moon
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman praised the Artemis II crew following the lunar flyby that has riveted the world for the past 10 days, describing it as a “perfect mission” and the astronauts as “wonderful communicators — almost poets.”
“These were the ambassadors from humanity to the stars that that we sent out there and I can’t imagine a better crew.”
Isaacman added that the “textbook” descent and splashdown proves that NASA is “back in the business of sending astronauts to the moon and bringing them back safely … until we land on it in 2028.”
The next Artemis mission, slated for 2027, will also be crewed and will test the rendezvous and docking capabilities of Orion with commercial spacecraft in preparation for a planned lunar landing before the end of this decade.
Commander Reid Wiseman reports all four crew members are well.
Houston mission control has confirmed that the final raise burn — an injection of fuel to increase Integrity’s speed and correct its angle of attack for re-entry — is complete and the spacecraft has “the right angle of attack to mitigate any excessive heat loads on the vehicle during entry interface.”
Mission commander Reid Wiseman shared that the crew have a great view of the moon outside the window of the capsule. “Looks a little smaller than yesterday,” he quipped.
“Guess we’ll have to go back,” Capcom Jacki Mahaffey replied.
Unofficial numbers released by NASA predict that Integrity will be travelling at a speed of 24,661.21 miles per hour as it re-enters Earth’s atmosphere approximately two and a half hours from now. That’s just 130 mph shy of the record set back in 1969 by the Apollo 10 crew on their return from the Moon and equates to about Mach 33, or 33 times the speed of sound.
After 10 days in space, the Artemis II crew is preparing for a high-stakes return to Earth. Re-entry is the most intense phase of the mission. The Orion spacecraft will reach its maximum velocity — close to 24,000 miles per hour — just before re-entry, generating temperatures near 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit on its heat shield and forces close to four times the pull of gravity. A brief communications blackout is expected as plasma builds around the capsule. From the moment it hits the atmosphere, it will take just 13 minutes for Orion to reach the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, Calif.
Orion will face these immense forces with a known issue: its heat shield. Following the return of the uncrewed Artemis I mission, engineers found concerning cracks and pockmarks in the heat shield. Rick Henfling, Artemis II entry flight director, says NASA has taken steps to mitigate the danger to the Artemis II crew by altering the flight path for re-entry. “NASA established a tiger team to investigate the cause of the problem and then make recommendations on how to fly the Artemis II mission safely and successfully,” he says. “We are going to fly a profile that ensures the spacecraft will not see that same type of pressure [that caused the damage to the heat shield during Artemis I re-entry.]”
The four astronauts of the Artemis II mission, including Canada’s Jeremy Hansen, have officially travelled farther from Earth than any other humans in history. At 1:56 p.m. EDT today, Integrity travelled beyond 400,171 kilometres from Earth – the previous record set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970 — as part of its flyby of the moon.
The capsule is expected to reach its closest distance – 6,550 kilometres – to the moon at 7:02 p.m. and reach maximum distance from Earth – 1,118,624 kilometres – a few minutes later at 7:07 p.m. Integrity will then begin its homeward journey, expected to take another four days to complete.
Gordon “Oz” Osinski, a planetary scientist and professor at Western University, calls today’s lunar flyby “icing on the cake” for a mission that has already set new benchmarks for human space exploration. “It sounds very Star Trek-esque but that will be the farthest that any humans have ever gone before. Period,” he says.
Osinski, who has led several expeditions to the Arctic to train astronauts — including Hansen and fellow Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch — in geological analysis and sampling in preparation for future missions to the lunar surface, says he is excited for the images the Artemis II mission will bring back to Earth.
“I’m looking forward to having a whole bunch more images that I can show in presentations that I think will give people a better perspective of what the moon is like and that satellite images can’t quite capture,” he says.
Today’s historic events follow a five-day voyage that began with liftoff from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre on Wednesday, April 1. On Saturday morning, the Canadian Space Agency hosted a live question-and-answer session with Hansen and his crewmates from deep space, in which Hansen mused on a number of topics, ranging from the crew’s experience viewing Earth from space to fellow Canadian Ryan Gosling’s starring role in the hit movie Project Hail Mary, a sci-fi film where the hero is tasked with saving life on Earth from a dying sun. The crew watched the movie with their families via a video link while in quarantine prior to liftoff.
“Art imitates science and vice versa it seems,” said Hansen, while lightly tossing around a plush toy named Ride, which serves as the crew’s zero gravity indicator. “It’s wonderful seeing people really lean into their roles.”
Other topics discussed during the Q&A included the serendipity of the April 1 launch date, which will allow the crew to observe an eclipse of the sun (also tonight); potentially observing lunar regolith lofting, a phenomenon where fine, lunar dust is suspended above the moon’s surface; inspiring young people to do great things (“you need a big team behind you,” Hansen advised); and whether food tastes different in space.
“We haven’t found the maple syrup yet,” Hansen quipped. “Our first day in space we found some maple cookies, so that was fun after a very long day. So far, food tastes about the same as it did on Earth.” — M.B.
I am not an expert on the Apollo missions, or space exploration in general, but I find it hard to imagine there was ever a moment so human, so beautiful, as when Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen named a crater — a “bright spot on the moon” — after Carroll Wiseman, the late wife of Artemis II mission commander Reid Wiseman.
“A number of years ago, we started this journey [with] our close-knit astronaut family, and we lost a loved one,” Hansen said, referring to Carroll, a nurse and mother of two who passed in 2020 from cancer. His voice broke with emotion as he explained that this lunar feature will sometimes be visible from Earth and spelled Carroll’s name for mission control.
The astronauts wiped away tears; Wiseman moved to hug Hansen, and then they all hugged. These are astronauts. They are alphas. But they are different from their predecessors.
The contrast between the Apollo missions, with their all-white, male crews and overwhelmingly U.S. military backgrounds (a notable exception being Harrison Schmidt, a geologist on Apollo 17 and RCGS Fellow), and Artemis II is striking. The current mission has a diverse crew: the first woman, person of colour, and non-American to travel to the moon.
But they are different in other ways, as evidenced by this moving scene aboard the Orion spacecraft. They are more spontaneous; they seem more human. More than 50 years have passed since the Apollo program ended. For all the superficial similarities with the 1960s-70s, it’s a very different Earth that the Artemis crew launched from and will return to — a better Earth. — J.G.
The commander of the Artemis II mission, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, kicked off the mission’s Easter Sunday broadcast to Earth with a special presentation to his crewmate, Jeremy Hansen: a gold pin with a pair of wings commemorating Hansen’s first spaceflight.
The pin is a “longstanding tradition” for astronauts, Wiseman explained. When an astronaut completes their training, they receive silver wings. These are swapped for gold wings when the astronaut finally makes it to space.
A dozen hours after Artemis II launched, carrying Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen and three others toward the moon, NASA reported that the crew was still safe and had successfully performed several manoeuvres that put them on track to do the critical translunar injection burn that will propel them out of Earth’s orbit and into outer space. That is scheduled to happen about 24 hours after liftoff, meaning at about 6:35 p.m. today.
Early into the flight, the crew briefly lost its ability to communicate with Mission Control. As well, the toilet on board Integrity — the name chosen by the crew for their tiny Orion space capsule — wasn’t working properly. Both those issues were resolved.
Last night, shortly before beginning a post-launch press conference, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman was upbeat. “That was something, huh!” he said to the assembled journalists. But the NASA team also cautioned that these first hours of a moon mission are physically taxing for the crew. Their bodies are adjusting to the force of being thrust violently through the atmosphere into zero gravity. As well, they have a punishing workload in this first day, with little ability to sleep properly or eat well.
Isaacman said that he hopes the mission is capturing the imagination of the public. “I absolutely think it’s foundational for what we do here at NASA to inspire. It should be a component of every one of our missions. We want to inspire and create interest in the next generation to grow up and contribute to that endeavour.”
The Artemis astronauts are going to be able to witness an eclipse of the moon during their flight, when the moon covers the sun. That means they will be able to examine the sun’s corona from an unusual perspective. Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate said that the crew had been boning up on solar science in preparation.
Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and pilot who has been a commercial astronaut, said the moment of the mission had weighed on him.
“It is far less stressful to be strapped into the rocket than to be responsible for it here on Earth,” he said.
At another point he said: “This is a risky mission, for sure.” — A.M.
About 75 people gathered at Canada’s Centre for Geography and Exploration to witness the launch of the Artemis II mission. The room erupted with cheers as the rocket boosters ignited and the rocket lifted off, with many in attendance expressing audible relief.
The light came first. A brilliant yellow burst, almost blinding. The sound followed. A deep crackle that reverberated across the few kilometres from the launch pad to the grassy field where I was standing, seeming to push right through my ribcage and heart. And then, in a simple, elegant arc, the SLS rocket was soaring through the sky, trailing thick billows of smoke, carrying four astronauts on the first stage of their journey to the moon.
I found myself standing, mouth open, sobbing uncontrollably, tears streaming down my cheeks. I simply craned my neck, totally overwhelmed, following the rocket into the clear blue sky, not even trying to wipe the tears away. I had imagined I would think about all the technical challenges the team had faced, the raw scientific genius that allows human beings to think of going back to the moon. The marvel of the enterprise, if you will. Or maybe the historic nature of a first Canadian, a first woman and a first Black American going to outer space.
But instead, all I could focus on was the sheer guts of the four people inside that capsule. They are putting their lives squarely on the line here in the name of exploration. I couldn’t help but think about their families. Last night, I met Nancy and Gary Hansen, the parents of Jeremy Hansen, the Canadian Space Agency astronaut on the ship. It was clear that they love him enough to just let him do what he’s dreamed of since he was five years old. Kind and generous, they wouldn’t dream of stopping him on their account, no matter the danger. It’s a strength of character they clearly taught him.
This afternoon, I was standing just metres away from Hansen’s wife Catherine and his three children as they gathered outside the fabled NASA “walk-out” where astronauts make their final public appearance before they’re whisked away in the astrovan to get inside the capsule taking them to space. Of course, it’s also the last goodbye to their families. Hansen couldn’t embrace them — quarantine protocols — but it was easy to see the affection in that family. As her husband boarded the astrovan and left her sight, Catherine formed her hands into the shape of a heart and pointed them in his direction. Their son Devon stroked his mother’s long brown hair and placed his arm across her shoulders. The families of these astronauts have plenty of bravery, too.
The moment of liftoff was one of the most dangerous of this mission. But it’s not the last. Tomorrow, after circling Earth for a day, the team will ignite yet another massive ball of fuel right under their bodies, the force of which will catapult the Orion capsule out of Earth’s orbit and toward the moon. That’s another possible point of peril — one of many yet to come. I won’t be as close this time. Instead, I’ll be following it through my computer screen. I won’t feel the sound waves crackle across the field, but I think I’ll still feel the enormity of the moment in my bones. — A.M.
See the moment the rocket blasted off:
Indira Feustel is the wife of Andrew Feustel, a Canadian astronaut who flew three missions and performed nine successful spacewalks during 23 years with NASA. He became acting chief astronaut of NASA in November 2022 before leaving the agency the following year to go into the private sector. Andrew Feustel was instrumental in assigning Jeremy Hansen to the Artemis II mission. The Feustels (who are friends with Jeremy and Catherine Hansen) are in Florida for the launch. Indira talked about what goes on in the heart and mind of an astronaut’s wife.
On mentally preparing
I think of that first mission. I’m thinking about Catherine right now. This is almost like your first pregnancy; it’s like the fear of the unknown. Mentally preparing for this, you surround yourself with your family, your closest friends, your neighbours. It’s such an exciting time. It’s almost like a wedding without the groom. They’re busy training. They’re in quarantine. Meanwhile you’re either in charge of the WhatsApp group letting people know the details or putting together a little get-together for your families. There’s a lot to keep you busy.
On emotions during the final countdown
When the countdown happens, everyone deals with it a little bit differently. You’re there to be the rock for the kids. And so at some point you don’t know who’s holding up who. I’m getting emotional just talking about it. I’ve already sent Catherine a message to let her know we’re all thinking about her. She knows. [As the rocket lifted off] I remember I had no cognition going on. It was just pure adrenaline, and everything just falls away and all you’re hearing is the visceral reaction, the sound, the bright light of all that fuel exploding and the rocket taking off and thinking about them seated there. The best thing for me was Drew told me: “Just think of me strapped in the rocket with a smile from ear to ear.” So that’s what really helped me.
On fearing the worst
You don’t dwell on it. You just want to have all the positive energy.
Julie Payette, former Canadian Space Agency astronaut and former Governor General of Canada, notes that space efforts in recent decades have focused on lower Earth orbit rather than outer space. The International Space Station has been continuously inhabited for 25 years, always with at least one American and one Russian crew member, a symbol of successful international collaboration. The Artemis missions represent an exciting new chapter in human space exploration. “Tomorrow, when [Hansen and the others] launch, the crew on board the Space Station are going to salute our friends and colleagues as they go to the moon,” she says. “International collaboration in space is working and has been working for a long time and that is like a beacon in the sky right now.”
Former Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk holds the Canadian record for most time spent in space: 204 days, 18 hours and 29 minutes. He says he was inspired by the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s and hopes the Artemis missions similarly inspire today’s dreamers and doers. “Without a doubt the audaciousness of the missions and the crews of the Apollo astronauts impacted me, so much so that it influenced my educational path and my career path,” he says. “I hope the Artemis missions will rekindle the same boldness, audacity and spirit of international collaboration.”
Dave Williams, another former Canadian Space Agency astronaut, says Canada’s involvement in the Artemis mission proves we are a “space-faring nation.” “We were the first country in the world to develop a complex robotic arm that enabled us to build the space station. We are a major space-faring nation. Jeremy Hansen is an incredible astronaut and [Canadian astronaut] Jenni [Gibbons] is his backup — what a proud moment for all of us in Canada to see this mission.” —A.M.
The Artemis II crew are now on board the Orion spacecraft, mounted atop the massive, fuel-laden Space Launch System rocket that will propel them out of Earth’s atmosphere and around the moon. The astronauts were able to share one last goodbye with their families before climbing into a van that took them to the launch pad. Hansen, looking relaxed and upbeat, chatted with his wife and three kids before waving to the assembled crowd. Watch their sweet sendoff:
The crew of the Artemis II mission, including Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will be walking out to the rocket at 2 p.m. EDT. Hansen’s family are at the walkout along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jenni Gibbons. — A.M.
The emotional core of last night’s Canadian Space Agency reception was a heartfelt speech by Devon Hansen, Jeremy Hansen’s son. Here’s what he said:
To most, he’s Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. To the military, he’s Colonel Hansen. To Canada, he’s a modern hero and an inspiration. To the moon, he’s an alien. To Earth, he’s a pioneer and and explorer….But along with all of that, to me, he’s an incredible role model of unwavering perseverance, unshakeable integrity and irrefutable love. His love and respect for our family, for friends, for people, for Canada, for humanity and for space is undeniable. Fifty years of hoping, planning and dreaming, 38 years of cadets, schooling and working towards your goals and 17 years of patience, supporting others and showing Canada what it means not just to be an astronaut but to be a man worthy of carrying a mission of so many, the dreams of so many and the love of so many. I am so incredibly proud of you and of who you are.
It’s launch day and excitement is growing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Canadian Geographic is on the scene at the KSC press site and caught up with former NASA astronaut and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly by the countdown clock.
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen has ”waited a long time” for his chance to go to space, Kelly said — and what a chance. As early as 6:24 p.m. EDT today, the Artemis II mission will blast off for an approximately 10-day flight around the moon and back, rigorously testing the Orion spacecraft.
“It’s an exciting day for the United States,” Kelly said, “but also an exciting day for Canada.” — A.P.
Nancy Hansen saw her son, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, through a glass barrier today. He was in quarantine on the NASA Kennedy campus with his wife Catherine and their three children.
“He was relaxed and happy and that helped mom,” she said in a brief interview this evening at a Canadian Space Agency reception to honour her son. She pulled out her cell phone and looked at a series of photos she took of the meeting. Her son’s family was seated comfortably on a couch in the quarantine room, smiling broadly. Shortly after she took those photos, Jeremy took a selfie with his family and his parents in the background on the smartphone he plans to take to space tomorrow. “So, we’re going with him,” Nancy said.
She and her husband Gary drove to Florida several days ago from their home in Ingersoll, Ont., to watch their son blast off on his mission to the moon. She said she hopes children watching this historic launch realize that they can work hard, follow their dreams and pick a career that makes them happy. — A.M.
NASA is continuing to monitor the sun’s activity as the launch nears, as well as cloud cover. The recent coronal mass ejection will not delay the launch because most of the radioactive energy from this solar flare was not headed directly toward Earth, Mark Burger, launch weather officer, said at a press conference today. This was the final press conference before the launch window that opens tomorrow at 6:24 p.m.
Burger said solar weather is a minor concern leading up to the launch, but that it is also unpredictable. “Solar forecasting makes terrestrial forecasting look easy,” he said. Winds and clouds are greater threats, Burger added, but tomorrow looks like the best day in the next several for the launch.
Jeff Spaulding, test director with the Exploration Ground Systems program at NASA Kennedy, said the astronauts have been in great spirits and the NASA team is excited about the prospects of a launch tomorrow. “I’ll say there were a lot of smiles today,” he said.
Early tomorrow morning, the team will be loading liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the rocket, a task that takes more than five and a half hours. The astronauts will still be asleep, not waking until about 9:45 a.m. Then they’ll have breakfast, put their space suits on and head to the launch pad, arriving a little before 2:00 p.m. At that point, the team will strap them into the seats of the Orion capsule, close the hatches and prepare for “terminal count.”
NASA officials said preparation for the launch this time has been smooth and easy, with few surprises after delays in both February and March. While several issues, such as wind or lightning, could still delay the launch, this is the closest Artemis II has been so far to blasting off. — A.M.
NASA started its famous countdown clock at 4:44 p.m. local time March 30, a sign that the Artemis II mission is ready for liftoff tomorrow evening, launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson said at a press conference. “Certainly, all indications are right now we are in excellent, excellent shape as we get into the count,” said Blackwell-Thompson.
All four astronauts arrived at Cape Canaveral on Friday and are getting some rest and time with their families before “we work them very hard,” Artemis flight director Emily Nelson said. Today, they’re in last-minute briefings. Tomorrow, they are scheduled to leave NASA’s “walkout” facility shortly after 2 p.m. local time and get into the spacecraft.
The NASA team continues to monitor a recent coronal mass ejection from the sun and a fast solar wind heading toward Earth, but said the effects from this severe space weather are expected to dissipate before the launch window. As well, the team is watching out for cumulus clouds that could hold lightning. Lightning would postpone the launch, which is set for 6:24 p.m. tomorrow but could go as late as two hours after that. Future launch windows include April 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. NASA is holding a final news conference today at 1 p.m. to update its plans. More to come. — A.M.
Retired Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield has flown two Space Shuttle missions and served as commander of the International Space Station. Last year, Canadian Geographic contributing editor Alanna Mitchell spoke to Hadfield about the significance — and potential perils – of the Artemis II mission. Here’s what he had to say.
On Hansen as the right astronaut for the role
He has risen to multiple leadership positions within the astronaut corps, both at the Canadian Space Agency and NASA. He’s been working daily and creatively improving his own skill set so that he is as ready as possible. [This mission is] asking a lot and so that requires a certain type of mentality and tenacity and a decades-long clarity of focus, and he’s got all those things. He’s spoken to all the remaining Apollo astronauts and all of their support crew. He’s not just technically ready, but psychologically and emotionally ready.
On potentially going further into space than any human has before
When you’ve already gone 400,000 kilometres, another 50,000 kilometres is [technically] a record — but, you’re leaving Earth. And you’re not there to set records. You’re there to push the edge of human understanding and capability and and that’s what they’re doing, on a brand new rocket that nobody’s ever flown. They’re laying the groundwork for for human settlement on the moon. And that’s enormous in the history of our species. So they’ve got all those thoughts, not what it says on the altimeter.
On the danger
The real moment [of danger] will be the translunar injection, which is the firing of the engine to accelerate from Earth orbital speed to “escape” velocity. And if you do the math … he has to go 41 per cent faster than I’ve gone and then he’ll be able to leave Earth. It’s symbolic. That’s the one that takes them away from the Earth and that’ll be when I have my fingers and toes and eyes crossed the hardest.
On where he’ll be on launch day
I‘ll be there at the launch site, helping support family and friends and I will be clenching and unclenching my fists and standing there wishing that everything’s going to work, because that’s all you can really do when you’re in the support role. You just stand there and helplessly hope and I’ll be one of those people, wishing him on his way.
One of the most famous origin stories about Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen is that when he was a kid growing up on a farm near Ailsa Craig, Ont., he flipped open the first volume of an encyclopedia and, under the letter A, happened on a picture of the astronaut Neil Armstrong standing on the moon. Armstrong was part of NASA’s Apollo era, which ended before Hansen, who turned 50 in January, was born. But the image ignited a lifelong passion in Hansen, who shortly thereafter turned his treehouse into a spaceship.
Still, how do you get from an imaginary spaceship in rural Ontario to the moon? Hansen, still sitting calmly in front of the camera, is quick to credit others. “One day, I told my family. I told teachers, and people started to use that inspiration to push me,” he says.
Even when he occasionally lost faith, these supporters kept him going. “I don’t think being able to set the goal and believe in it initially is unique, but to have the people around you who will enable you to hold the vision long enough to attain it, maybe that is, unfortunately, somewhat rare.”
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen is set to make history in the coming days as the first Canadian to fly around the moon. Hansen is one of four crew members for NASA’s Artemis II mission, along with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch. The approximately 10-day mission is the first crewed test of the Orion spacecraft and marks the first time humans will leave Earth’s orbit in more than 50 years. The launch clock at Kennedy Space Center in Florida began counting down on March 30 to a targeted launch time of 6:24 p.m. EDT on April 1.
Canadian Geographic is on the scene at KSC covering this historic moment for Canada and for human space exploration. Live updates will be posted here and on Instagram.
Science & Tech
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen will soon be blasting off on NASA’s Artemis II mission. How did he get from an imaginary treehouse spaceship in rural Ontario to the real thing?
Exploration
With the Artemis II mission set to blast off next spring, humanity is one step closer to returning to the moon. In the meantime, astronauts are honing their skills in a Labrador meteorite crater.
Science & Tech
Hansen will be part of the NASA crew for Artemis II, which will see the astronauts spending up to three weeks on a flyby trip to the moon in 2024
Science & Tech
While Jeremy Hansen’s mission is complete, Canadian scientists and astronauts will be involved in future space missions – including to the moon