TORONTO – A Canadian astronaut will be part of the first manned mission of the US space program to the Moon in more than 50 years in 2023.
“It’s official! Canada will join the United States in the first manned mission to the moon in more than 50 years!” Canadian Minister of Science and Innovation Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a tweet.
The astronaut will be part of the Artemis II mission, which will be the first mission to transport humans to the moon since the last Apollo US mission in 1972. Artemis II will not land on the lunar surface, but will enter orbit, according to the Canadian Space Agency website .
The mission is part of the US-led Lunar Gateway effort to build a small space station in lunar orbit. Canada will contribute with Canadarm3, a robotic arm similar to past contributions to the US space shuttle program.