Now, the first Canadian astronaut to set foot on the moon will wear a patch that honors both his own mission and the legacy of his nation's early explorers.
CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who will travel with NASA's Artemis 2 crew around the moon in 2025, unveiled the new symbol at a visit with students from the First Nations University of Canada on Thursday (Feb. 8). The symbol represents Hansen's regard for Indigenous "ways of knowing."
Artist Henry Guimond, a member of the Anishinaabe tribe of culturally related Indigenous peoples who dwell in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States, designed the insignia at Hansen's request. Guimond received advice from David Courchene III, an Anishinaabe elder and Turtle Lodge head in Sagkeeng First Nation (Manitoba).
A bow, the emblem of Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt, the moon, and nature, and the twin sister of Apollo, is at the center of Guimond's patch design. Artemis is also the name of NASA's first astronaut mission to the moon in over 50 years.
A pair of Royal Canadian Air Force astronaut wings is depicted below the bow, reflecting the importance of the country's armed services in Canada's journey to the moon and honoring the sacrifice of Hansen's fellow service members and their families. The Canadian flag at the top of the patch is both an homage to the thousands of individuals who have worked across the country to make this mission a reality and a symbol of all Canadians joining Artemis 2 as it sails around the moon.
