ANALYSIS | Jeremy Hansen’s flight around the moon is a continuation of Canada’s participation in the space program | 24CA News
Earlier this week, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency introduced that Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen might be a part of the crew of the historic Artemis II mission to orbit the moon.
This flight will be seen as a part of a steady historical past for Canada in house, reaching again greater than six many years.
Canada has been a part of house exploration for the reason that starting, because the fourth nation to have a presence in house. The Soviet Union was first with its satellite tv for pc Sputnik in 1957. The U.S. adopted the following 12 months with Explorer 1. The British flew Ariel 1 in 1962, and Canada was subsequent with Alouette 1 that very same 12 months. However, each of the latter satellites rode American rockets.
Interestingly, the opposite first satellites have fallen out of their orbits and burned up within the environment, whereas Alouette continues to be up there. After ten years of operation it was switched off, however it rides in such a excessive orbit that it stays in house. When we put one thing up, it stays up!
When Canada cancelled the Avro Arrow supersonic jet program, many scientists and engineers who had been engaged on the undertaking went to NASA to take part within the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo applications that ultimately introduced American astronauts to the moon.
Our well-known Canadarm distant manipulator system was carried aboard house shuttles to launch satellites — together with the Hubble Space Telescope — that connect modules to the house station and act as a cherry picker help for astronauts who rode the top of the arm throughout house walks.
Canadarm2 is a everlasting function of the house station, together with its “hand” Dextre, which is used to connect house station modules and help in restore work.
Hansen is the tenth Canadian astronaut to be chosen for house flight since our first Canadian in house, Marc Garneau, flew on house shuttle Columbia in 1984. Chris Hadfield is the one Canadian to turn into the commander of the International Space Station.
Canada has additionally contributed to house science with satellites such because the Radarsat constellation, which makes use of radar to map the floor of the Earth in positive element no matter cloud cowl or time of day.
We also have a scientific instrument on the floor of Mars, aboard the Curiosity rover, which examines rocks to find out their chemical make-up as a part of the seek for life on the pink planet.
This lengthy historical past of Canada’s function in house exploration will proceed with our astronauts venturing to the moon, and a brand new Canadarm3 that might be a part of the deliberate Gateway house station to be inbuilt orbit across the moon. We are additionally creating a lunar rover that may prospect for ice within the lunar soil.
Canada has been one thing of a silent accomplice within the house program. We do not make loads of noise as a result of we do not construct the massive rockets. But we’ve got been alongside for the trip for the reason that starting with our scientists, know-how and astronauts. And if people transfer on to Mars, it is a good wager that Canada might be there too.
