Barrie fire chief speaks to family ties with Canadian astronaut on Artemis II mission

Barrie Fire Chief Kevin White speaks to CTV News about his brother-in-law Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen and his journey to the moon.

Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen may be orbiting hundreds of thousands of kilometres from Earth, but for one Barrie, Ont., family, the journey feels much closer to home.

Hansen, who launched into space and headed towards the moon on Wednesday night, has strong ties to Simcoe County. He happens to be married to Barrie Fire Chief Kevin White’s sister, Catherine Hansen.

In a Zoom interview with CTV News, White shared what it was like to have his brother-in-law take a trip to space.

Artemis II is a mission currently making history as the first time humans get sent around the moon in more than 50 years.

White was in Cape Canaveral, Florida, for the launch in a viewing area called Banana Creek, located within the Kennedy Space Center.

White explained he and other members of the family were able to see Hansen for roughly half an hour before the takeoff, but about 10 or 12 feet apart and with glass in between, talking through a telephone.

He said four people are allowed to see the astronaut and their family before the mission. Hansen had been in quarantine, a necessary precaution to avoid bringing in any potential illness into the closed environment of the spacecraft.

During that half hour, while emotions were running high, White said they mainly discussed the mission.

“Mostly keeping him grounded. Keep in mind, we’re here for social, but he’s here for work, so he was really focused on his mission and what they’re working on while they’re in space and on their way to the moon,” said White.

“It’s a very dangerous mission, so he was keeping his emotions in check and making sure that he knew what he was up to.”

Once it’s go-time for Hansen to get into the spacecraft, it can be a lengthy process before it actually gets into the air.

“He’s in that strapped-in position for up to four hours,” said White. “I know if he had a chance to talk now, he would tell me how excited he was to be able to launch right away because as soon as that window opened with the countdown, he could have been there for an additional two hours. So I’m sure he was excited to get that rocket in the air.”

White said he thought the four hours strapped in before takeoff might be relaxing, but the crew is actually quite busy during that time.

Before the mission, White said Hansen warned family it could look like the spacecraft is on fire, but that’s how the propulsion system works and to give it a few seconds before things settle.

Fellow Canadian astronaut Dave Williams briefed Hansen’s family prior to launch about what they could expect to see and what it would feel like for astronauts during the departure. White said he discussed things like the big plume of smoke that comes out of the spacecraft and the feeling that astronauts will have of an elephant sitting on their chests during takeoff.

Once it was time for takeoff, White said it was loud and hot.

“I can tell you it’s loud for us, even three miles away,” White said. “The ground was shaking; the stadium we were in was shaking. You can literally feel the heat, which is unbelievable to see that rocket take off, and the noise takes a little while to get to you from the sound, but once it hits you, it’s there until they’re literally in space.”

What could also be heard were sounds of celebration when it was apparent the crew had safely taken off into space. White said it happens much faster than people may think. To get to space, it’s only about eight minutes before they’ve arrived.

White said the mission is a stressful one, with the translunar injection — a certain maneuver used to send a spacecraft to the moon — a big part of it.

The crew will be traveling over one million kilometres in 10 days. When they go around the moon, they will get as close as 450,000 kilometres from it as they circle around.

White said if you look up at the moon tonight, you will see such a beautiful, bright moon; they’ll be travelling around it tonight.

When asked how his wife feels about the mission, while nervous, he said she is also feeling a great deal of excitement that he’s living his dream.

It was evident through the Zoom interview that White is quite proud of his brother-in-law, noting he is a down-to-earth and humble person.

“We are very excited to have him as a voice for Canada while he travels around the moon,” White said.