Jeremy Hansen

Personal Data: Born January 27, 1976, in London, Ontario, and raised on a farm near Ailsa Craig, Ontario, until moving to Ingersoll for his high school years.  Lieutenant-Colonel (LCol) Hansen is married with three children. He enjoys sailboat cruising and racing, rock climbing and mountain biking.

Education: LCol Hansen holds a Bachelor of Science in Space Science (First Class Honours) from Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario (1999). He earned a Master of Science in Physics from the same institution in 2000, with a research focus on Wide Field of View Satellite Tracking.

Organizations: Canadian Armed Forces, 1994 to present

Special Honors: Canadian Forces Decoration – 12 Years of Good Service (October 2006), Canadian Air Force Pilot Wings (May 2002), Clancy Scheldrup Memorial Trophy – Outstanding Graduate on the Basic Flying Course (2001), Air Cadet League of Canada Award – Top Air Force Graduate from the Royal Military College of Canada (May 1999), The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012).

Experience: Prior to joining the Canadian Space Program, LCol Hansen served as a CF-18 fighter pilot and held the position of Combat Operations Officer at 4 Wing in Cold Lake, Alberta. His responsibilities included ensuring the effectiveness of NORAD Air Defense Operations and the operability of Deployed and Forward Operating Locations (Bases).

From 2006 to 2007, LCol Hansen served as a CF-18 fighter pilot in 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron, where his responsibilities included leading tactical formations and serving as a Maintenance Test Pilot. From 2004 to 2006, he served as a CF-18 fighter pilot in 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron, where his responsibilities included NORAD Operations, Deployed Exercises and Arctic Flying Operations. He completed his CF-18Fighter Pilot Training in 410 Fighter Training Squadron from 2003 to 2004. His experience also includes frequent deployments to the United States and Europe.

LCol Hansen's flight experience began at the age of 12, when he joined the Air Cadet Program. He obtained both glider and private pilot licenses through this program by the age of 17. This training led to his acceptance to Collège militaire royal in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec.

NASA Experience: LCol Hansen was one of two recruits selected in May 2009 through the third Canadian Astronaut Recruitment Campaign. He is one of 14 members of the 20th National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut class. In 2011, LCol Hansen graduated from Astronaut Candidate Training, which included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station (ISS) systems, Extravehicular Activities (EVAs, or spacewalks), robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training, Russian language courses, and sea and wilderness survival training.

While waiting for a flight assignment, LCol Hansen works as Capcom at NASA's Mission Control Center—the voice between the ground and the ISS. He has recently acted as Lead Capcom for Expedition 39 as part of his current duties with the Training and Capcom branches. His responsibilities have also focused on establishing a new training program where astronauts simulate a week onboard the ISS to strengthen their expeditionary skills. In 2011–2013, he was assigned as Crew Support Astronaut for Expedition 34/35.

In addition to his day-to-day work, LCol Hansen remains committed to building and maintaining his skills; he takes training in spacewalk and robotics while continuing to learn Russian. He has taken part in geological expeditions in the High Arctic and participated in the European Space Agency's CAVES program, during which he lived underground for six days. LCol Hansen also continues to fly the CF-18 fighter jet with the Royal Canadian Air Force and had the privilege to inspire young Canadians by flying the historical Hawk One F-86 Sabre jet.

Follow Jeremy on Twitter: @Astro_Jeremy!