Jakarta, CNN Indonesia –
Canada stated that it would send a rover robot to Month in 2026.
This announcement was made in response to the growing competition due to the growing global space market.
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will partner with US NASA in realizing the mission. Two Canadian companies will also be appointed to develop the concept of a rover robot and science instrument for the mission.
The rover robot will be tasked with exploring the Moon’s polar regions and carrying out scientific work, as well as taking pictures and collecting data on the surface.
“As the whole world looks up at the stars, we are ready to make Canada a world leader in research, technology and innovation so we can be there too.” he said.
“Canada will be a part of space history. We recognize that global interest in space and the space industry is on the rise,” Canadian industry minister Francois-Philippe Champagne told a news conference.
Prior to that mission, Canadian astronauts will also take part in a lunar mission for the first time in 2023, as part of the NASA-led Artemis project.
The mission, named Artemis II, will see a manned test flight sent into orbit but will not involve an actual landing on the Moon.
The following year, Artemis III aimed to land astronauts, including the first woman on the Moon. The mission will be the first landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Canada is known to have invested US$30 million or Rp428.8 billion over the past year to advance lunar and space technology, including micro-rovers and to build a third-generation robotic arm dubbed Canadarm3.
Its predecessor technology has been deployed on the shuttle and the International Space Station to handle payloads.
A total of 2 billion Canadian dollars or about Rp. 23.6 trillion (exchange rate of Rp. 11,833) has been allocated to Canada’s space program over the next two decades.
(jps / eks)
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