Ask an Astronaut: Artemis II Mission to the Moon
Ulnooweg Education Centre is inviting Indigenous youth to take part in a rare opportunity connected to Artemis II, the first crewed mission to travel around the moon in more than 50 years.
Youth are invited to submit one question they would like to ask Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, along with a creative piece. A small number of questions will be selected and shared during a live downlink with the Artemis II crew while they are in space!
Submit Your Question
To take part, youth must complete one of the activity sheets below and include their question on the page. Educators, community leads, and youth workers are welcome to support individual or group submissions. This opportunity is open to youth ages 8 and up.
Step 1: Choose and complete one activity
Step 2: Include the following with your submission
- One question for Jeremy Hansen
- Youth’s first name and age
- Community and school or program name
Step 3: Submit by January 26
Completed activity sheets can be submitted:
- Through our online form (below), or
- By email to education@ulnooweg.ca
If selected, youth will be invited to record a short, pre-recorded video asking their question. We will make sure to follow up with you with requirements and script prompts. Parent/guardian permission will be required before any youth can advance to the video phase. Ulnooweg will provide a media release form to families/guardians at that time.
What Is the Artemis II Mission?
Artemis II is the first crewed flight in the Artemis campaign and will test many of the systems needed for future Moon exploration and long-duration space missions. This mission builds on the success of Artemis I, the uncrewed test of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, and marks the first time a Canadian astronaut participates in a lunar mission.
Who Is Jeremy Hansen?
Some of you might remember Jeremy from Astronaut Day in Sipekne’katik in 2018, when he joined us to answer all kinds of questions about space and space travel!
Today, he is preparing to make history as a member of the Artemis II crew and the first Canadian astronaut to travel around the Moon, a major milestone for Canada’s role in space exploration.
About Jeremy's Artemis II Mission Patch
Mission patches are a long-standing tradition in spaceflight, used by crews to represent their mission and the values they carry with them into space.
Jeremy’s Artemis II mission patch was designed by Anishinaabe artist Henry Guimond of Sagkeeng First Nation. Jeremy chose to work with an Indigenous artist as a way of honouring the teachings he has received from Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Holders.
What would your own mission patch say about you? Design your own patch and submit a question for Jeremy to answer while he’s in space!
More Learning Resources
Check out resources that help youth, educators, and families explore space, science, and the sky through Two-Eyed Seeing.
The challenges faced by Artemis II are the same kinds of questions youth explore through our space-related STEAM workshops. Our Space Flight, GroBot, and Model Rockets programs invite participants to experiment with forces, motion, systems thinking, and problem-solving, the same principles space agencies use when planning a mission.
For thousands of years, Mi’kmaw have followed a lunar calendar that reflects seasonal changes, relationships with the land, and ways of living in balance. The Mi’kmaw Moons resource shares the names and meanings of each moon, helping learners understand how the Moon has long guided timekeeping, harvesting, and cultural teachings.
This project is about the regeneration of Mi’kmaw star stories through storytelling. Their goals are to revitalize, document, and reclaim Mi’kmaq Star Stories through story work research, knowledge and sharing based on guiding themes: Dreamtime, Ceremonies, and Wampum Belts; Petroglyphs and Sacred Sites; and Our Relatives and Language.