Making scientific discoveries
Advancing knowledge and science
A great benefit of exploring space is new breakthroughs in science. Data collected by space probes, telescopes, rovers and more is continually challenging our assumptions. In the last decades, we have learned that the number of planets, stars and galaxies in the universe is much higher than we anticipated. Researchers have found out that gravitational waves hypothesized by Einstein more than 100 years ago are indeed real, giving us a new way to look at the universe. Scientists have even discovered ice on Mars and the Moon as well as liquid water on moons in our solar system!
Pushing our boundaries by exploring the unknown
As John F. Kennedy said about landing on the Moon:
"We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard."
Exploring space is hard – it is perhaps one of the hardest and most complex endeavours of humankind. It forces societies to push their boundaries, surmount challenges, and work together to reach new heights. Space agencies from around the world are looking towards the future of deep-space exploration, beyond the International Space Station. Canada has committed to participating in international space exploration efforts that aim to extend humanity's reach further into the solar system.
Canada sets its sights on the Moon
Nearly 400,000 km away from our planet, the Moon represents a crucial steppingstone in humanity's quest to travel onwards to Mars. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is participating in the exciting next chapter of Moon exploration with national and international partners.
Artemis II
CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen made history as the first Canadian to go on a mission around the Moon. Artemis II was the first crewed mission to the Moon since . The Artemis missions are increasingly complex endeavours that lay the foundation for sustainable human and robotic exploration of Earth's only natural satellite, the Moon.
Canada's first lunar CubeSat
The first Canadian lunar CubeSat will be developed and launched to the Moon to help improve understanding of the lunar environment for future exploration missions.
Equipped with three scientific instruments, this CubeSat will improve our understanding of lunar geology and help identify potential sites for resources that are critical for a sustainable human presence on the Moon.
Lunar utility rover
Rovers will be key to a sustainable human presence on the Moon. In the s, a Canadian lunar utility rover will provide critical assistance to astronauts on the Moon and support operations. This investment was announced as part of the federal budget to support Canadian leadership in space and is still in an early conception phase. The utility rover allows Canada to work with the U.S. and other international and Canadian partners to advance scientific discovery and exploration on the lunar surface.