Future Astronaut Visits Portage la Prairie

The Portage la Prairie Rotary Club welcomed a very special guest today to their weekly luncheon. Future Canadian Astronaut Lieutenant-Colonel Jeremy Hansen spoke to the group about his preparations for a mission to the International Space Station.

Hansen, who has been doing some additional helicopter flight training at 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School over the past few weeks, says it's great to bring his story to communities like Portage la Prairie

"It means a lot to me, because society really invested in me. There were a number of people, teachers, my parents, the Air Cadet program was a huge one, but there was a number of people who invested in my when I was young and gave me the skill sets I needed. Picked me up when I needed some support. Told me things were possible. So I just wanted to share that message with young Canadians and just let them know that we're very fortunate as Canadians."

Hansen says the message he wanted to share, especially with many on the youngsters who were in attendance, was one of perseverance.

"There are always challenges. It's a great thing to discuss, especially with kids because everybody faces them. So for me, I faced a lot of challenges going through pilot training, In fact, when I joined the Forces, I was not allowed to even apply for pilot. It took me about 2 years, I had to (originally) pick a different trade. Then after 2 years, persistence paid off and I was able to eventually switch to pilot. So not everything just falls in your lap. Sometimes you have to work for it."

Hansen has been a part of the Air Force for 20 years and training in the Canadian Space Agency for 5 years. He, along with his wife and children currently reside in Houston, Texas, where he participates in a training program with NASA. it's expected that Hansen will likely be sent on a mission to the space station, within the next five years.