Artemis II

Canada’s participation in the Artemis program, the result of decades of contributions and strategic investments, proves that our nation’s expertise continues to be instrumental to space exploration endeavours.

The most visible part of Canada’s role in the Artemis II mission was Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronauts Colonel Jeremy Hansen, a mission specialist aboard the Orion spacecraft and the first Canadian to travel beyond Earth orbit, and Jenni Gibbons. Gibbons played multiple roles in the mission, including as Hansen’s backup and as the first Canadian certified as an Artemis capcom; she continues to work on the development of future lunar missions.

Artemis II drew also on expertise developed across Canada’s space sector, contributions that underscore the team effort involving astronauts, engineers, scientists, communications specialists, physicians, and government and industrial partners.

CSA flight surgeons worked with NASA medical teams to oversee astronaut health, operational readiness, and mission preparation. Further CSA support for the mission included the agency’s Operational Space Medicine and crew support groups, project management, communications and policy teams, the agency’s Astronauts, Life Sciences, and Space Medicine directorate, its liaison office in Houston, and many more teams. Other government departments, such as the Canadian Armed Forces and the National Research Council, provided invaluable contributions; Shared Services Canada played important supporting roles, providing secure communications and information technology infrastructure.

On the industry side, Canadian space food was added to Hansen and the crew’s menu while Advantech Wireless Technologies supplied satellite communications equipment used within NASA’s ground communications architecture, contributing to the reliable transmission of mission data. Planetary geologist Dr. Gordon “Oz” Ozinski of Western University also helped to develop and deliver geological field training that prepared Artemis astronauts for lunar surface exploration.

These combined efforts reflect only part of Canada’s contribution to NASA’s return to crewed lunar exploration, but they illustrate the breadth of Canadian expertise that helped to make the Artemis II mission possible.