For 17 years, Jeremy Hansen trained for the opportunity to go to space. When that opportunity finally came, his first spaceflight didn’t simply take him into orbit—it took him around the Moon and into history. In April 2026, Canadian astronaut and Royal Canadian Air Force Colonel Jeremy Hansen served as a mission specialist aboard Artemis II, humanity’s first crewed mission around the Moon in more than 50 years. In doing so, Hansen became the first Canadian—and the first non-American—to participate in a lunar mission. His remarkable journey from fighter pilot to astronaut to lunar explorer is a story about far more than spaceflight. It is about preparation, patience, leadership, teamwork and being ready when a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity finally arrives. Today, Hansen brings those lessons to audiences on Earth, offering an extraordinary perspective on leadership, high-performance teams, exploration and accomplishing ambitious goals.
Who Is Jeremy Hansen?
Jeremy Hansen
is a Canadian astronaut, engineer, fighter pilot and Colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force whose career has been defined by leadership, service and preparation for demanding environments. Before becoming an astronaut, Hansen flew CF-18 fighter aircraft with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was selected by the Canadian Space Agency as one of Canada’s newest astronauts in 2009 and completed astronaut candidate training in 2011. But unlike many astronauts, Hansen’s path to space required extraordinary patience. Over the next 17 years, he trained extensively while taking on increasingly important responsibilities within the international space program. Hansen served as CAPCOM at NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston—the critical communications link between astronauts in space and teams on the ground—and participated in demanding international training expeditions. In 2013, he took part in the European Space Agency’s CAVES program, living underground for six days. The following year, he participated in NASA’s NEEMO 19 mission, living and working on the ocean floor for seven days in the Aquarius underwater habitat. Then, in 2017, Hansen achieved another historic first: he became the first Canadian to lead a NASA astronaut class. All of it was preparation for an opportunity that had yet to come.
Seventeen Years of Preparation for One Extraordinary Opportunity
There is a powerful leadership lesson hidden within Hansen’s journey. He was selected as an astronaut in 2009. He didn’t launch into space until 2026. For nearly two decades, Hansen continued training, learning, leading and contributing to missions without knowing precisely when his own opportunity to fly would arrive. Then, in 2023, Hansen received the assignment that would change his life: he was selected as a mission specialist for Artemis II. It would be his first spaceflight. And his destination would be the Moon. For organizations and leaders, Hansen’s experience offers a compelling reminder that major accomplishments rarely begin at the moment everyone notices. They are built during the years of preparation beforehand—when the destination may still be uncertain and the payoff may seem far away.
Jeremy Hansen Becomes the First Canadian Around the Moon
On April 1, 2026, Hansen launched aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft alongside NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch. Artemis II was the first crewed test flight of NASA’s Artemis campaign and the first crewed lunar mission since the Apollo era more than half a century earlier. Hansen served as a mission specialist, sharing responsibilities that included spacecraft operations, system monitoring, communications, photography, science activities and manual piloting evaluations. When Orion departed Earth orbit, Hansen became the first Canadian and first non-American ever to participate in a lunar mission. Canada consequently became only the second nation to send one of its astronauts on a mission around the Moon. But another record was still ahead.
Going Farther Than Any Humans in History
On April 6, the Artemis II crew traveled 248,655 miles from Earth, surpassing the distance record established by Apollo 13 in 1970. NASA subsequently reported the mission’s maximum distance from Earth as 252,756 miles. Think about that for a moment. Jeremy Hansen waited 17 years for his first spaceflight—and when it finally happened, he became one of four people to travel farther from Earth than any human beings before them. During their journey, Hansen and his crewmates traveled beyond the far side of the Moon and witnessed extraordinary views of Earth suspended against the darkness of deep space. After nearly 10 days and more than 1 million kilometers of travel, Orion returned safely to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast on April 10. The mission was an important test of the Orion spacecraft’s life-support, navigation and other systems and helped prepare the way for future human exploration of the Moon and eventually Mars.
Four Astronauts, One Mission
Although Hansen’s achievement was historic for Canada, Artemis II was never about the accomplishment of one person. Its success depended upon an extraordinary international team. Hansen flew alongside Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover and Mission Specialist Christina Koch. Each brought different backgrounds, experiences and areas of expertise to the spacecraft. That makes Artemis II an unusually powerful case study in high-performance teamwork. When four people are traveling hundreds of thousands of miles from Earth aboard a spacecraft, communication cannot be an afterthought. Trust isn’t a corporate buzzword. Preparation isn’t optional. Everyone has a role. Everyone depends on everyone else. For business leaders, associations and organizations trying to build stronger teams, Hansen can translate an experience few people on Earth have lived into lessons that apply surprisingly well to challenges here at home.
Leadership Lessons from the Far Side of the Moon
Most audiences will never fly a CF-18 fighter jet, train for a lunar mission or see Earth from beyond the Moon. Yet the principles behind Jeremy Hansen’s extraordinary journey apply directly to leaders and organizations here on Earth. His 17 years of preparation for Artemis II demonstrate that ambitious goals demand patience, continuous learning and readiness; his experience in fighter aviation and spaceflight underscores the importance of trust, communication and sound decisions under pressure; and the international teamwork behind Artemis II shows that truly historic achievements are rarely accomplished alone. These eight leadership lessons capture what organizations can take from Hansen’s journey from fighter pilot to the Moon:
A Historic Achievement Recognized at the Highest Level
Hansen’s accomplishments continued to receive recognition after his return to Earth. On August 28, 2026, Hansen joined Artemis II crewmates Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch in receiving the Congressional Space Medal of Honor at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The honor added another remarkable chapter to a career that has taken Hansen from the cockpit of a Canadian fighter jet to NASA Mission Control—and ultimately farther from Earth than any previous astronaut crew. In July, the Canadian government also formally recognized Hansen’s contributions to Canada’s space program as he prepared to pursue new professional opportunities beginning in September while continuing to serve as a Reservist with the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Jeremy Hansen as a Keynote Speaker
Jeremy Hansen offers corporate and association audiences something exceedingly rare: leadership lessons forged in fighter aviation, astronaut training, NASA Mission Control and ultimately deep-space exploration.
His story can illuminate powerful ideas about:
- Leadership under pressure
- Building high-performance teams
- Preparation and perseverance
- Trust and communication
- Managing risk and uncertainty
- International collaboration
- Innovation and exploration
- Pursuing ambitious goals
What makes Hansen’s story particularly compelling is that success wasn’t immediate. His historic journey was built through nearly two decades of preparation before his opportunity finally arrived. For leaders and organizations facing their own ambitious goals, that may be one of the most valuable lessons he can share: you cannot always control when the opportunity comes, but you can control whether you are ready for it.
From Fighter Pilot to the Moon—and Now the Keynote Stage
Jeremy Hansen’s journey from Canadian fighter pilot to the first Canadian around the Moon is one of the most remarkable stories in modern exploration. He trained for 17 years before making his first spaceflight. When his opportunity came, he helped test a spacecraft designed for humanity’s next era of deep-space exploration, represented his country on a historic international mission and became one of four humans to travel farther from Earth than anyone before them. Now, those experiences give Hansen an extraordinary platform from which to speak about leadership, teamwork, preparation, perseverance and achieving goals that once seemed beyond reach.
Book Jeremy Hansen for Your Next Event
Jeremy Hansen brings audiences a rare combination of fighter-pilot experience, astronaut training, international leadership and firsthand lessons from one of the most important space missions of the 21st century. Organizations looking for an unforgettable keynote on leadership, teamwork, exploration, innovation and human potential can book Jeremy Hansen for keynote speaking engagements through Speakers.com. Contact Speakers.com to learn more about Jeremy Hansen’s availability and bring the perspective of the first Canadian to travel around the Moon to your next corporate meeting, association conference or special event.
