Jeremy Hansen’s historic space mission sent his hometown fans ‘over the moon’

As southwestern Ontario native Jeremy Hansen prepares to become the first Canadian astronaut to fly to the Moon, residents of his hometown will proudly cheer him on.

Hansen, originally from Ailsa Craig, north-west of London, will be part of NASA’s Artemis II mission Which can leave for space in at least a week. This mission will make Canada the second country in the world to send humans into deep space.

Artemis II will send Hansen and his American colleagues to the far side of the Moon, where no humans have ever gone before.

“This is going to be a huge moment,” said Gordon Osinski, a professor of earth sciences at Western University. “I think it will go down at the top of the history of the Canadian space program.”

During the 10-day trip, the crew will collect scientific data to test the limits of their rockets and their own human endurance in preparation for future Moon missions, including Artemis III, which will see astronauts actually landing on the Moon.

As of now, the earliest possibility of launch is February 8, but the exact date will depend on weather conditions.

Hansen’s historic achievements have influenced many people in the London-area. From his alma mater’s student body to a local singer and a geologist from Western University, the community is preparing for the launch this way.

A local Ingersoll hero

Current students and staff at Hansen’s former high school, Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute (IDCI), will follow the mission closely.

“The school is over the moon,” said Phil Raven, head of the English department, “that one of his former students is going to space.”

“We had to do something big, that Hansen would notice. The enthusiasm has been infectious.”

One of the school’s first ideas dates back to 2023, when Hansen’s participation in the mission was announced. They took a drone shot of all the students on the field with the shape of the moon and the stars around it.

Copies of the photo were shared with Hansen and in return, he sent her a signed photo of himself with a message for the students. They’re hoping he’ll take a copy of the school photo on the mission, Raven said.

Raven and fellow teacher Jennifer Rowe have also started the Artemis IDCI Explorers Club to encourage their local hero.

The club also worked together to build a Lego set of the Artemis rocket and created a social media account to keep students updated about the mission.

“I’m sure he’ll come to IDCI,” Raven said. “The day he does it, I think we’ll all be surprised that we’re in the same room. It’ll feel like we were all a part of it in a way.”

The composer dedicated the song to Hansen.

London-based musician Emm Griner has composed a song called “Touch the Sky” celebrating Hansen’s upcoming space flight. The idea came to his mind when he became friends with Hansen’s wife, Katherine, a few years ago.

She wanted to create something “anthemic”, she said, explaining that the song touched on the couple’s close relationship and Hansen’s upbringing in Ailsa Craig.

“We drew a parallel between Jeremy picking up rocks from the farm and going there now it Rock (the moon),” he said. “How it all begins in this place of innocence and dreaming.”

“I’m hoping that people will be inspired and feel hopeful. This is not a particularly hopeful time in the world.”

Hansen immediately came back to Griner and his team, he said, and said he loved the song and danced to it together.

Look Emma Griner’s “Touch the Sky”:

Front row seat to the launch

Osinski, the Western professor, had met Hansen 15 years earlier on his expedition to the Canadian Arctic. The goal, Osinski said, was to provide Hansen with more geological training than the basics he learned during the astronaut selection process.

Osinski will get a front-row seat to the launch in Florida when it happens — the Canadian Space Agency invited him to get a behind-the-scenes look.

This, he said, would be his first opportunity to witness the launch of a mission.

He said, “I will get very close to the launch and hopefully see Jeremy and his colleagues on their way to the moon.” It’s exciting, but also nerve-wracking. “No space mission is without risk.”

But Osinski’s space connections don’t end there. He is also the only Canadian on the science team Artemis III missionand Canada’s first major inventor lunar rover mission.

The success of Artemis II will have a major impact on the work being done for their next mission, he said.

“This is a standalone mission, but it is absolutely critical to Artemis III and beyond. We cannot underestimate this.”