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PHOTO: NASA's Orion probe nears lunar orbit gateway / NASA
LONGUEUIL, Que. – Canada will participate in a NASA-led project to create a lunar exploration outpost as part of a revitalized national space program, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Thursday.
"Canada is going to the moon," Trudeau said in his announcement at the Canadian Space Agency in the Montreal suburb of Longueuil.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced last summer that it was preparing for the creation of its new Lunar Bridge, a space station that will orbit the moon and serve as a springboard for space missions. .
The station, which is about one-fifth the size of the International Space Station, is expected to be fully operational by 2026 and serve as a mission control for lunar missions.
"The Lunar Gateway will be one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by human beings to date," said Trudeau. "Not only will this lunar outpost provide a long-term lunar presence, but it will also serve as a launching pad for Mars and beyond."
The plan calls for a "sustainable moon architecture" that would allow people and equipment to move regularly on the moon, NASA said.
Trudeau said the partnership in the Moon Gate would be part of a new federal space strategy in which the government would invest $ 2.05 billion over 24 years. He added that this investment would create hundreds of high-paying jobs and contribute $ 100 million to Canada's gross domestic product through the growth of the space economy.
"It's a long-term commitment. This shows that we are committed for the long term, "said Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains.
Canada's key contribution to the moon gate will be to develop a smart robotic system called Canadarm 3. This mechanism will repair and maintain the outpost.
"The Canadarm was essential to the Space Shuttle. Canadarm 2 built the International Space Station. It is therefore fitting that the arm that will repair and maintain the Moon Bridge be made in Canada by Canadians, "said Trudeau.
He was able to get acquainted with certain technologies by visiting the agency with his daughter Ella-Grace, manipulating a camera attached to the space station and testing a rover in an agency lab. He then spoke to high school students in a city hall.
Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques, speaking from the space station on a six-month mission, said that unlike his current workplace, Gateway could not be used from the ground. Because of the distance, it will have to be autonomous, relying on robotics and artificial intelligence.
"I am proud and delighted that Canada is continuing the adventure and joining the next chapter of space exploration," said Saint-Jacques. "Gateway will be an outpost where humans can live in lunar orbit, where we will learn to work more independently with Mother Earth than we have done so far."
Last November, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine traveled to Ottawa to promote Canadian participation in the Moon project. He said at the time that he hoped Canadian artificial intelligence and robotics skills could give birth to a new Canadian arm. "If Canadians want to participate in missions on the moon's surface with astronauts, we welcome it," he added.
US Ambassador to Canada Kelly Craft said in a statement that Thursday's announcement marked "the beginning of a new era of space cooperation between the United States and Canada."
The Gateway project will provide Canadian astronauts with time in orbit, said Gilles Leclerc, Director General of Space Exploration for the Canadian Space Agency. He clarified that the agreement still needed to be negotiated, but he hoped that it will be similar to the agreement governing the space station. In the case of Canada, it provides robotics and has the right to conduct experiments and send personnel to the space station.
Leclerc said it was an exciting time in space, especially with commercial space space inhabited on the horizon. But the Gateway project is consistent with Canada's spatial objectives.
"The realistic approach is to develop Canadian technologies that not only allow us to fly, but also scientific and global benefits," said Leclerc.
News from © Canadian Press Enterprises Inc., 2019
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