Jeremy Roger Hansen, born January 27, 1976, in London, Ontario, is a Canadian astronaut, colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force, fighter pilot, and physicist.[1][3][4] Raised on a farm near Ailsa Craig and later in Ingersoll, he developed an early passion for aviation, joining the Royal Canadian Air Cadets at age 12, earning glider pilot wings at 16, and a private pilot license at 17.[1][2][3] Hansen holds a Bachelor of Science in space science (1999) and a Master of Science in physics from the Royal Military College of Canada.[1][2] He trained as a CF-18 fighter pilot, serving in squadrons at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta, including roles in NORAD operations, deployments, and as a maintenance test pilot.[4][6] Selected by the Canadian Space Agency in 2009 as one of two new astronauts, he joined NASA's 20th astronaut class, completing training in 2011 that covered ISS systems, spacewalks, robotics, T-38 flights, Russian language, and survival skills.[1][2][6] Key achievements include serving as Capcom at NASA's Mission Control, supporting ISS expeditions; participating in ESA's 2013 CAVES analog mission in Sardinian caves; and NASA's 2014 NEEMO 19 undersea mission in the Aquarius habitat.[1][3][4] He became the first Canadian to lead a NASA astronaut class, managing training for U.S. and Canadian candidates through 2020.[1][2][5] In 2023, Hansen was assigned as mission specialist for Artemis II, NASA's first crewed Orion flight test on the SLS rocket, scheduled for early 2026, making him the first Canadian to travel to the Moon and beyond low Earth orbit.[1][2][3][4] He advocates for STEM education, inspiring youth through outreach and flying historic aircraft like the Hawk One F-86 Sabre.[1][2] As of late 2025, he remains a pivotal figure in Canada's space program, preparing for this historic lunar orbit mission.[3]