Stories from space: Artemis II crew members recount lunar mission in Longueuil

The four astronauts, including Canadian Jeremy Hansen, who flew around the moon in April as part of the Artemis II mission, visited the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in Longueuil on Montreal’s South Shore on Thursday.

The astronauts were greeted with cheers upon their arrival by CSA employees, some of whom worked on the recent spacecraft mission around the moon. 

The 10-day Artemis mission took Hansen, from the Canadian Space Agency, and three NASA astronauts, mission commander Reid Wiseman and astronauts Victor Glover and Christina Koch, farther from Earth than any humans before them.

“Our team flew around the moon, and Canada was the second country in the world to send a human into deep space, and I will just say we did that,” said Hansen.

They were the first crewed mission to the Moon in over 50 years and travelled over one million kilometres, which included orbiting the Earth twice, then flying around the Moon. 

“I got to really feel it and live it. And now it makes me unapologetically proud, and also kind of like, let’s get after it, and let’s go do the next thing. And I’m kind of not willing to settle for anything less,” added Hansen.

The four astronauts – as well as CSA astronaut Jenni Gibbons, who played multiple roles in the mission – took part in a Q&A with federal Minister of Industry Mélanie Joly at the Canadian Space Agency in Longueuil.

“He was the vet that wasn’t a vet. He was up there just exceeding definitely what I was capable of. In fact, literally our rocket cut off, and he was like, all right, I’m out of my seat, I’m gonna go to work, and I’m thinking, well, I guess I have to do that too, then, I’m not ready!” said Koch.

Glover said, “There was so much grace and integrity, and I would say the sentinel, the person who guarded it to make sure that we had grace and integrity all the time was Jeremy.”

Members of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets were also in attendance and the astronauts stressed to them the importance of hard work and perseverance. 

“We did not start our careers successful from day one. We built this over time with a lot of perseverance,” said Wiseman.

Hansen adding, “Camaraderie was necessary for us to do not just the job, but the best job possible at the time.”

David Iordan, sergeant with the 643 St-Hubert Royal Canadian Air Cadets, said, “I think it was knowing that Jeremy Hansen was a cadet also, and as a cadet, it makes me feel really, really proud.”

Léanne Cloutier, a warrant officer 2nd class with the 643 St-Hubert Royal Canadian Air Cadets, said, “Honestly, it was so impressive, I feel so lucky to be able to actually see them and meet them, like we weren’t supposed to have this opportunity at first, and it’s just really a beautiful experience, and it feels like I get to be a part of a really life-changing moment, you know.”

The crew members are scheduled to speak at the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal on Friday.

-With files from Gareth Madoc-Jones