London's Jeremy Hansen tells Indigenous youth to dream the impossible

London-born astronaut Jeremy Hansen spoke to Indigenous students from across Canada Tuesday beaming his way into their classrooms through a video link to encourage them to pursue their dreams.

Hansen told students snippets from his childhood, growing up on a farm in Ailsa Craig, to becoming an astronaut and  what he's learned about life along the way. He also acknowledged the rich history of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

"One important truth is that your blood, your ancestry, is the greatest explorers on the planet," Hansen said. "The Indigenous communities were amazing explorers. What they did to push humanity around the globe is extraordinary when you really think about it."

Hansen will be the first Canadian to orbit the moon when the Artemis Mission II launches in Sept. 2025. It was supposed to leave in November but earlier this month, NASA said it was delayed. 

Hansen told students becoming an astronaut was nothing short of a challenge. But by sharing his goals with others and working collaboratively in a team, he was able to achieve his dream. 

In the last half hour of the presentation, elementary and high school students asked Hansen questions directly about life as an astronaut.

"How long will it take to get to the moon?"

"Is it comfortable in a space suit?"

"How long will it take to calculate the time it'll take to land on Mars?"

Hansen said he was very pleased with the perceptiveness of the students' questions.

"They were paying attention, which I loved," said Hansen. "I think the only issue I had is – we just didn't have enough time. I would have loved to have taken more [questions]."

He hopes that by sharing his life experiences with young people, he will also inspire other youth to aim for the impossible.

"I know that could be very powerful," said Hansen. "I hope that these types of talks will inspire some Indigenous youth to pursue these goals if it aligns with their areas of passion."