Two Canadian astronauts will play crucial roles in NASA's return to the moon through the Artemis II mission. Jeremy Hansen and Jenni Gibbons represent Canada's historic participation in lunar exploration.
Hansen, 50, from London, Ontario, serves as mission specialist and will become the first non-American to travel beyond low Earth orbit. He joins veteran NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch aboard Orion.
Gibbons, 37, from Calgary, acts as Hansen's backup and serves as voice link to space from Earth. A former University of Cambridge professor in internal combustion engines, she joined the Canadian Space Agency in 2014.
NASA targets April 1 launch with six-day window through April 6. Artemis II marks the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo missions over 50 years ago. The 10-day mission tests Orion's systems during lunar fly-around.
Hansen's military background includes CF-18 fighter pilot service and leadership of NASA training astronaut classes. Gibbons previously managed International Space Station operations and mentors astronaut classes.
Future Artemis III and IV missions plan lunar landings beginning 2028.