Ottawa Kids Get a Front-Row Seat to Space History
Ottawa students from Glashan Public School had one of those rare, goosebump-worthy experiences this week — the kind that kids talk about for the rest of their lives. A group from the Centretown school got to meet the crew of NASA's Artemis II mission, including Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, alongside Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The students spoke with CBC Ottawa's Hallie Cotnam about what it was like to stand face-to-face with the people who will orbit the Moon — the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Who Is Jeremy Hansen?
For anyone who hasn't been following Canada's space story, Jeremy Hansen is a big deal. The Ontario-born astronaut is the first Canadian ever selected to fly on a lunar mission. He'll be joined on Artemis II by NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover, and Christina Koch — a crew that will strap into the Orion spacecraft and travel around the Moon and back.
No humans have ventured that far from Earth in over 50 years. The mission is a test flight ahead of Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface. Hansen's selection was a massive moment of national pride for Canadians — and especially meaningful for Ottawa's tight-knit school community.
What the Students Took Away
For the Glashan students, the meeting was more than just a cool photo op. Getting to ask questions of real astronauts — people who train for years, study complex science, and push the limits of human achievement — is the kind of experience that can genuinely shape a kid's future career path.
And having Prime Minister Carney in the room added another layer of significance, framing Canada's role in deep space exploration as a national priority, not just a NASA footnote. Canada's contribution to the Artemis program includes the Canadarm3, a next-generation robotic system that will operate on the Lunar Gateway space station.
Ottawa's Connection to the Stars
Ottawa has long had ties to Canada's space ambitions. The National Research Council of Canada, headquartered in Ottawa, has historically contributed to aerospace research. And with institutions like Carleton University and the University of Ottawa producing engineering and science graduates, the capital region plays a quiet but important role in Canada's scientific community.
For kids growing up in Ottawa today, moments like this are a reminder that space exploration isn't something that only happens in Houston or Baikonur — Canadians are right there at the frontier.
Inspiration for the Next Generation
Artemis II is currently targeting late 2025 for launch, though timelines in spaceflight can shift. When it does lift off, those Glashan students will be watching with a completely different kind of investment — because they shook hands with the crew.
That's the thing about moments like these: they don't just inspire, they personalize. Space goes from being an abstract concept on a science worksheet to something a real person you met is doing.
And if even one of those kids ends up working in aerospace, astrophysics, or engineering because of this experience? That's the mission accomplished right there.
Source: CBC Ottawa. Video interview conducted by Hallie Cotnam.
