As an astronaut prepares to become the first Canadian to fly around the moon, a University of Guelph instructor says the upcoming mission will “open doors to new fields of research yet to be imagined.”
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen has been named to the Artemis II mission, the first crewed mission to the moon since 1972. He will become the first non-American to travel beyond low-Earth orbit.
Orbax, a science communicator in the Department of Physics in U of G’s College of Computational, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, says the Artemis II mission will pave the way for human exploration of other nearby planets like Mars.
“This mission will be part of a plan to create workable infrastructures that allow for a space station, along with allowing for exploration of unique problems that will come with life and exploration off-planet,” Orbax says.
Hansen isn’t the only Canadian content heading into space. The Canadian Space Agency is also building Canadarm3 for the Artemis program. The Canadarm3 will be part of the lunar space station known as The Gateway, transferring payloads and building the station itself.
“A Canadian company was also selected to create a lunar rover that will land on the south pole of the Moon as part of the future of the Artemis project to search for water ice and investigate the sustainability of a lunar presence,” Orbax says.
This mission will act as a stepping stone for deeper space exploration, Orbax explains.
“This will require future generations to understand and invent ways of making this a reality,” he says.
The launch window for the Artemis II mission opens on Feb. 6, meaning the mission could happen anytime between early February and April. The crew will slingshot around the moon, with the mission lasting about 10 days and travelling over 1 million kilometres.
Orbax is available for interviews. Learn more in February’s Star Gazing Guide.
Contact:
Orbax
orbax@uoguelph.ca