Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen blasts off on historic Artemis II mission around the Moon

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The Artemis II mission lays the groundwork for future Moon landings, including a planned 2028 mission

Wednesday night, at approximately 6:35 p.m. EDT, the Artemis II mission lifted off from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It is the first crewed mission to the Moon since 1972 and will travel farther into space than humans have in around 50 years.

The mission will test NASA's Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System rocket, which can send astronauts, cargo, and the spacecraft directly to the Moon. The crew of four will check equipment, run experiments, and gather data needed for future lunar missions.

Among the astronauts is Jeremy Hansen, a proudly Canadian astronaut from London, Ont., who flew CF-18 fighter jets before joining NASA.

Local MP Michael Barrett, who has met Hansen before, praised his long preparation for the mission.

 

Barrett hopes this story inspires Canadians to do anything they want to.

The Artemis II mission lays the groundwork for future Moon landings, including a planned 2028 mission.

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