Reaching For the Moon: The Canadian Space Agency Called on Companies to Present Projects For Lunar Missions
The humanity is getting ready for new lunar explorations, and Canada wants companies to come up with innovative ideas to help this dream become a reality – and faster!
The Canadian Space Agency has initiated this week a tender for projects to make Canada contribute to future space missions, including human and robotic exploration of our natural satellite. So far, they have been working with European, Japanese and American space agencies for space missions.
A step forward would be to contribute with a moon rover for future missions so that NASA’s Lunar Gateway can use in the future.
Move Deeper Into Space
The agency will choose promising technologies the next year and test them in 2020 in the Canary Islands.
Mike Greenley, group president of MDA (space tech firm), stated:
“The next focus for exploration is to move deeper into space, to go to the moon and to Mars. And so the next series of projects, over the next five to seven years, will be to get back to the moon, and then over the next 12 to 15 years, to move beyond that to Mars.”
Canada has been involved in space missions ever since the launch of the 1962 satellite Alouette I. Starting with 1984, eight Canadian astronauts were part of 16 missions, and Canadarm became a leader in space robotics.
According to Global News Canada, some of the projects proposed by the Canadian Space Agency are:
“Lunar rover power systems and wheels;
Rover guidance, navigation and control;
Communications systems for use on the moon;
Lunar drilling and sample acquisition;
Approaches to lunar prospecting.”
Canadians Proud to Participate in Space Missions
Canada will also be able to be part of designing and building rovers for space mining – a vital part of the mission to assure resources for a moon colony, explained Greenley.
He added that he would like to see Canada involved in developing robotics, rovers and space medicine, concluding that it would be a substantial investment:
“These are investments that would be substantial in size, but over a 15-year period or more. Canadians are very proud of our participation in space historically. So the support’s there for investment.”
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.
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