So what does the success of Artemis I mean for Canada? While led by NASA, it is important to note that the Artemis Program is very much an international endeavour, carrying on the spirit of the International Space Station. Canada has been a member of the Artemis Program from the very beginning, ensuring our place at the table as humanity embarks on a new era of exploration of our closest celestial neighbour. Indeed, one of the most exciting achievements for the Canadian space program is that we have secured a seat for a Canadian astronaut on the next Artemis mission, scheduled to launch in 2024. Artemis II will mark the first time in 50 years that humans will return to the Moon – not to the surface, but in a flyby manoeuvre analogous to what the first Apollo mission to the Moon, Apollo 8, did in 1968. This will be a critical milestone before humans return to the surface of the Moon on the subsequent Artemis III mission.

In the meantime, there are lots of activities happening in Canada related to the robotic exploration of the Moon. A major contribution announced earlier this year is the development of Canadarm3. This next-generation robotic arm – being developed by MDA – will be mounted on the Lunar Gateway, which is essentially a small space station that will orbit the Moon.