Who is Catherine Hansen? Wife of Canada’s Jeremy Hansen, the first non-American astronaut sent on a moon mission

Four astronauts, including three Americans, embarked on a high-stakes flight around the moon Wednesday, part of Artemis II, humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century and the thrilling leadoff in NASA’s push toward a landing in two years.

Among the four astronauts was Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, as the 32-story rocket rose from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Hansen launched to the moon aboard the Artemis II on Wednesday.

His final words were broadcast before liftoff: “We’re going for all humanity,” as quoted by the Canadian Press. The 50-year-old from London, Ontario, Canada, is serving as the mission specialist for Artemis II and will become the first non-American to travel beyond low Earth orbit.


He is joined by veteran NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch. The 10-day lunar fly-around will see humanity travel to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. It’s the first time that humans will see the far side of the moon.

Hansen sent his love to his family as he left crew quarters with his fellow astronauts Wednesday afternoon in the final hours before the launch window. According to the Canadian Press, Catherine Hansen, Jeremy’s wife, wrapped her arms around her children as her husband, standing behind a barricade in his bright orange spacesuit, said, “I love you,” and flashed a thumbs-up.

He and the rest of the Artemis astronauts then boarded a vehicle that took them to the crew capsule. Ahead of the launch, Catherine said the family would try to take in every single moment.

“I’m really trying to encourage everyone — and very, very specifically myself — to be in that moment and to allow whatever emotions may come,” she told The Canadian Press on Tuesday. “There will be excitement; there will be exhilaration; there will be terror and fear.”

Who is Catherine Hansen?

Catherine Hansen is a physician specializing in women’s hormonal health, an accomplished obstetrician-gynecologist, and a workplace wellness specialist. She is also the founder of Empowered Women’s Circle. According to The Canadian Press, she met her husband in Moose Jaw, Sask., when she went to watch her brother receive his Air Force pilot wings.

Not only for the American space agency but also the lunar mission holds a special place for the Hansen family, as it marks the culmination of 16 years of preparation and the fulfillment of a lifetime dream, according to The Canadian Press.

Catherine Hansen is an accomplished obstetrician-gynecologist. She met her husband in Moose Jaw, Sask., when she went to watch her brother get his Air Force pilot wings, The Canadian Press reported.

Jeremy Hansen told her right away he planned to be an astronaut. She said she initially thought it was “a crazy thing to say out loud,” but after a little contemplation, decided that “if he’s saying it out loud, he must really mean it,” as quoted by the news agency.

“And as I got to know him, even over that day, weeks, months later, I realized he meant every word of it,” she said with a wide smile. “And we were going to do everything we could to make it happen.”


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Catherine, a distinguished physician specializing in women’s health, is known to play an instrumental role in transforming how organizations build resilient teams, prevent burnout, and maximize leadership potential, according to the Speakers Spotlight website.

With over 25 years of clinical experience, she has dedicated her career to uncovering the hidden factors that quietly derail workplace performance and talent retention. A Canadian-trained and U.S. board-certified OB/GYN, she is also a certified menopause practitioner, holding a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and having completed a clinical fellowship in hormonal and sexual health.

The Speakers Spotlight website also states that Catherine was an Assistant Clinical Professor for over a decade at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She also served in a multispecialty Houston-based practice focused on menopause medicine and founded Empowered Women’s Circle, a global community fostering connection and empowerment among women leaders.

Jeremy Hansen was a fighter pilot when he became one of two recruits selected by the Canadian Space Agency in 2009. Catherine Hansen said they had a look at their lives together, what they wanted, and how they could both accomplish it.

“I cannot really explain to people how important it is to just lift each other up, and that’s exactly what we’ve done,” she said, as quoted by The Canadian Press. “He’s done that with my work and my business. I’ve done that with him and his work.”