An American mission to send humans back to the moon will include Canadian astronauts, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today. The mission, named Lunar Gateway, will serve to establish a base orbiting around the moon and is considered an important step towards future Mars exploration.
The last manned moon landing was the Apollo 17 mission, launched by NASA on December 7, 1972.
Lunar Gateway will allow humans to live in orbit around the moon for the first time ever. Starting in 2022, NASA’s next-generation lunar orbiter should be complete, with a docking station for spacecraft and possibly a robotic arm controlled by artificial intelligence as Canada’s contribution.
Previously, NASA has also said it hopes to see astronauts from other nations – including Canada – set foot on the moon. Thus far, that feat has only ever been accomplished six times, by American Astronauts during the Apollo program.
Trudeau confirmed $2.05 billion in funding for the Canadian space program in the next 24 years, and $150 million for the Lunar Gateway mission.