On April 3,NASA harbinger the gang for Artemis II , which will see astronauts spend up to three weeks on a flyby trip to the moon in 2024 . This mission will be the first clip in more than 50 long time that homo will inspect the moon — or leave low Earth orbit — since Apollo 17 in 1972 . And a Canadian will be onboard this milestone mission : astronaut Jeremy Hansen .
I ama prof , an explorer and a planetary geologist . For the past decade , I have been help to train astronauts from Canada and the United States in geology , include Hansen . I am also the chief investigator for theCanadian Lunar Rover Mission .
Scheduled to launch in tardy 2024 , Artemis II will achieve several firsts : it will be the first timehumans will vanish in NASA ’s Orion spacecraftand the first mission to take human beings beyond low Earth range sinceApollo 17 in 1972 .
Jeremy Hansen.Photo: NASA
After the launch of Artemis II , the four astronauts will spend a few twenty-four hour period in a high-pitched Earth cranial orbit , which is over 30,000 kilometres [ 18,640 miles ] far out than the orbit of the International Space Station ( ISS ) . There , they will check out all the systems before the Orion space vehicle fires its main locomotive to take it to the moon for a flyby before returning to Earth .
While not identical in design , Artemis II aims to achievewhat Apollo 8 did in 1968 , which is to ensure everything influence in preparation for Artemis III , which will take humans back to the aerofoil of the moon .
Canadian circling the moon
For many of us , the very fact that the Artemis II crew has been announce is exciting enough as it brings us one footmark nigher to the return of homo to the moon .
But for Canada , this will go down as one of the grown moments in our space program ’s history : onboard this mission will be Canadian spaceman , Jeremy Hansen . This will make Canada only the second rural area in the world , after the U.S. , to place a human to deep space .
Col . Hansen was deliver in London , Ont . , and raised on a farm a few kilometer north . After graduating from high school , he hang the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston , where he earned a bachelor of skill in space skill and then a master of scientific discipline in cathartic . He then joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1994 where he became a CF-18 attack aircraft pilot light .
In 2009 , Hansen wasone of two recruits select by the Canadian Space Agency ( CSA ) . The other was David Saint - Jacques , who spent six months onboard the ISS in 2008 - 09 .
Not only will Hansen be the first ever Canadian to hazard into deep blank , he will be doing so on his first ever spaceflight !
Canadian technology
These are exciting times for Canada in term of lunar exploration . As announced in November last year , theCanadian Lunar Rover Missionwill be the first ever Canadian - led mission to the open of another planetary body .
With a launching be after for 2026,our teamis make substantial progress towards finalizing the intention of the rover and its scientific instrument . We are also describe a shortlist of likely landing place sites around the South Pole of the moon .
We wo n’t have to waitress three eld , however , for the first Canadian technology to reach the lunar airfoil .
Just last hebdomad , the HAKUTO - R Mission 1 spacecraftsuccessfully went into orbit around the moonlight after 100 days in space . Onboard the lunar lander schedule for touchdown in late April are two Canadianpayloadsfunded by the CSA’sLunar Exploration Accelerator Program : the MoonNet deep watch software fromMission Control Space Servicesin Ottawa , and an AI - enabled 360 - degree camera fromCanadensys Aerospace , based in Bolton , Ont .
In eccentric you omit it , the CSA received support for the next phase of the Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program in the recentfederal budget , ensuring that these opportunities for Canadian company and university to send technologies to the moonshine will continue .
In another budget surprise , the government also committed $ 1.2 billion over 13 age to develop alunar utility vehicleto assist astronauts on the moon .
Lunar research, terrestrial benefits
As we await for Artemis II , infinite agencies are focus research on how to sustain human presence on the lunar surface . To do so will require innovative solutions to keep astronauts alive and healthy on the lunar surface for up to calendar month at a meter .
The surface of the moon is far more uttermost than Earth , with no ambiance and temperatures dropping to a staggering -200 C [ -328 F ] . However , there are some similarities that remote , isolated communities here on Earth face on a day - to - day fundament , particularly in northern Canada .
A major part of keeping astronauts healthy is course them . Of naturally , they could survive on vacuum - seal meal add from Earth , but in the long trial , this is not sustainable .
Recognizing the similarity of producing food for thought in remote and harsh environments both here on Earth and in distance , NASA and the CSA launched theDeep Space Food Challengeto evolve Modern innovative nutrient production technologies .
In partnership with@csa_asc@AAFC_Canadaand@ArcticFocus , investigator at#NRCAgResearchare train to adapt a research seedpod into an in force and#sustainablegreenhouse for yield and vegetables in the community of interests of#GjoaHaven,#Nunavut@Space_Stationpic.twitter.com/VKzv6okUWw
— NRC Canada ( @NRC_CNRC)February 21 , 2020
The Bob Hope is that by figuring out how to grow food on the lunation , the technologies can also be used here on Earth to address growing food deficit .
Now that the Artemis II crowd has been announced , they will be spend every minute of their available clock time preparing for the mission . For Hansen , this will entail learning the hundreds of unlike systems on theOrion spacecraft .
Hopefully , it will also let in a geology refresher course so that he can better understand what he sees as he fly around the moonshine .
This article is republish fromThe Conversationunder a Creative Commons license . translate theoriginal article .
Artemis programLunar roversNASAOuter spaceSpacecraftSpaceflight
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