The Decibel Artemis II: A Canadian heads to the far side of the moon
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Apr 1, 2026 
Jeremy Hansen, a Canadian astronaut headed to Artemis II, reflects on training, risks, cultural honours and scientific goals. Maddie White, producer and narrator, and Ivan Semeniuk, science reporter, guide the story. They discuss how Canadian robotics earned a seat, sacred geological training, mission timelines and technical hurdles, and plans for trajectory, observations and biomedical experiments.
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First Humans Back Near The Moon In Half A Century
- Artemis II marks the first human lunar mission in over 50 years and could send astronauts farther into space than ever before.
- The four-person crew will loop around the moon without landing, studying the far side and potentially seeing previously unilluminated regions.
Canadarm Legacy Bought Canada A Seat
- Canada earned astronaut seats on Artemis through its longstanding robotics contributions like Canadarm and Canadarm2, traded for participation and funding.
- That robotics legacy opened the door for at least two Canadian astronauts to go to lunar space as part of partnership agreements.
Jeremy Hansen's Path From Farm To Lunar Crew
- Jeremy Hansen grew up on a farm near London, Ontario, discovered space via an encyclopedia entry on Neil Armstrong, and converted a treehouse into a rocket ship.
- He became a CF-18 fighter pilot, joined the Canadian Space Agency from 5,000 applicants, and will be the first non-American to travel to lunar space.