Prime Minister Mark Carney praised astronaut Jeremy Hansen during a call with the Artemis II crew on Wednesday, saying he was proud to see a Canadian in space and to hear French spoken.
Carney called the mission "hugely inspiring" and said Canadians couldn’t be more proud of Hansen and the collaboration with the United States.
"We look forward to seeing you here in Canada, for maple syrup on pancakes," the prime minister said from Ottawa.
Hansen, a 50-year-old from London, Ont., and veteran NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch are returning to Earth after completing a six-hour lunar flyby Monday, going farther into space than any humans before and breaking Apollo 13's distance record from 1970.
It's a step toward landing boot prints near the moon's south pole in just two years.
Carney has said that, with Artemis II, Canada became the second country in the world ever to send an astronaut on a lunar mission, and that it's a testament to Hansen's "exceptional skill."
The crew, after capturing images and other geological observations of the moon, is set to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Friday.
In a NASA news conference later Wednesday, where all four astronauts floated in front of a Canadian and American flag, Hansen reflected on receiving a pre-recorded video message from his wife, Catherine, and their three children.
"When you're out in deep space by the moon, and you are listening to a video they recorded for you before you launch, that's something," Hansen said with a smile.
Hansen has been mission specialist for Artemis II and became the first non-American to travel beyond low Earth orbit. Canada has long collaborated with the United States and other nations on space technologies, notably in space robotics.
Hansen said the beauty of the Artemis program is its international collaboration that "sets big goals" and "doesn't just talk about them."
What the Artemis II crew in space and on Earth have learned during the 10-day lunar fly-around will help push forward future moon missions.
Hansen said "it's really hard out here" and while it might look easy from the outside, it takes a lot of expertise in space and on the ground.
"You do a lot of testing on the ground but your final test is when you get this hardware to space and it's a doozy," Hansen said. "And our team has just performed. They've just knocked it out of the park."
The astronauts' conversation with Carney earlier Wednesday marked the third and final space-to-Earth connection organized by the Canadian Space Agency, livestreamed from the John H. Chapman Space Centre in Longueuil, Que., and co-ordinated by astronaut Joshua Kutryk.
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly attended in person, addressing Hansen after Carney spoke.
"I've heard, time and time again, people from across the country saying, 'We're not only proud, but it's good news. We’re following because they're providing hope. Jeremy is actually helping us go through our days,'" Joly said.
She asked Hansen if the mission had changed his perspective on humanity.
"I launched with the expectation that I would see the proof (of humanity’s purpose) with my own eyes, and I definitely have," he said. "I think that's really reassuring."
Students from across Canada also asked questions, including via pre-recorded messages.
Asked how missions like Artemis II could shape life on Earth in the coming decades, Hansen said space exploration "pushes innovation."
"And when we set really big goals, it focuses us on getting things done, creating technologies that help us live better together," he said.
Elder Bryan Akwirente Deer of the Mohawk Nation of Kahnawake delivered a prayer of thanksgiving to open the event.
Hansen also reflected on Indigenous teachings, saying, "Sit with your elders and ask questions. Every time I've listened, I've learned amazing things."
Hansen described how his mission patch reflects seven attributes — courage, humility, respect, love, honesty, wisdom and truth — that guide him in life and in space.
His patch was designed by Manitoba artist Henry Guimond of Sagkeeng First Nation.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
