Space exploration entering ‘new era’ with private firms: Canadian astronaut | 24CA News
Jeremy Hansen, who will probably be flying the Canadian flag across the moon for the primary time, says Canada is on track for extra area historical past amid a “new period “of personal firms working extra actively within the business.
The Ontario astronaut is among the many four-person crew introduced this week for NASA’s upcoming Artemis II mission and can grow to be the one non-American to depart Earth’s orbit when the mission blasts off subsequent yr.
“It’s a really big deal for me, but I’m very humbled and super proud to do it,” stated Hansen in an interview Sunday with The West Block‘s host Mercedes Stephenson.
“This is a historic moment for Canada for sure and we are here because of decades of effort by thousands of people.”
With the rise of Space X based by billionaire Elon Musk and different non-public companies, there’s a rising push towards commercialization.
Despite the regulatory challenges, Hansen stated that is “bringing huge dividends” to the business and nations like Canada must preserve working in order to not be outpaced as area exploration turns into extra business.
The function of personal companies within the area business shouldn’t be destructive, he says.
“The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages from my perspective and that’s why you’re seeing so much change in space, because we’ve really hit a new era.”
The Artemis II mission is scheduled for launch in November 2024.
If profitable, this would be the first time people get that near the moon because the Apollo program greater than 50 years in the past.
The roughly 10-day flight take a look at will “pave the way for lunar surface missions, including landing the first woman and first person of color on the Moon,” NASA says on its web site.
But earlier than that occurs, there may be a whole lot of preparation and coaching concerned.
Hansen, who’s a former fighter pilot, will probably be accompanied by three different Americans on the mission.
An 18-month-long coaching program will contain working along with the engineers on NASA’s Orion spacecraft, testing the software program earlier than they get able to take off, stated Hansen.
They will probably be travelling onboard the identical spacecraft that was used for Artemis I, an unmanned flight, that took a 1.4 million-mile journey past the moon, returning to Earth after 25 days final December.
“We have flown this capsule in space before … but there were no humans on it. So putting humans on it really changes it,” stated Hansen, who hails from London, Ont.
Those modifications embody including handbook management methods to allow them to fly it in area manually if wanted, as a backup. The rocket will even want life assist methods.
If all goes effectively, NASA needs to aim a two-person lunar touchdown as early as 2025, with the launch of Artemis III.
From left, Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Hammock Koch, have a good time on stage as they’re introduced because the Artemis II crew throughout a NASA ceremony. The naming of the 4 astronauts who will fly across the moon by the tip of subsequent yr was celebrated on the NASA hangar at Ellington Airport Monday, April 3, 2023, in Houston.
AP Photo/Michael Wyke
Hansen is setting his sights excessive on extra to come back for Canada going ahead, saying that Artemis II is “just one step.”
“I have every ambition for Canada to have a Canadian walk on the moon and go to Mars and be part of that in the future. And we really can do it.”
— with information from Global News’ Aaron D’Andrea
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
