The government is expected to announce on Thursday that Canada will join the lunar space mission led by the United States, according to sources who spoke to CBC’s French-language network Radio-Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and three of his ministers are expected to make the announcement in Longueuil, Que. It comes amid ongoing turmoil within the federal government over SNC-Lavalin.
Sources told Radio-Canada that Trudeau will confirm Canada is joining NASA’s Lunar Gateway project, a plan for a lunar-orbit space station.
The sources said this participation is expected to become the cornerstone of the new Canadian Space Strategy, due to be announced soon, into which the Liberal government plans to inject $2.5 billion over 24 years, according to the sources.
Ottawa has not updated its space strategy in the past 25 years.
Offer to join the mission extended in November
The federal government was slow to commit to the project even though NASA offered to have Canada join it last November.
“We need to build on Canada’s unique capabilities,” NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said at the time.
He said NASA wants to create a “sustainable lunar architecture” that would allow people and equipment to go back and forth to the moon regularly.
Trudeau’s announcement will provide a better understanding of the role that Canada will play on the Lunar Gateway. It will also state that $150 million over five years will be earmarked for small- and medium-sized businesses delivering research and development, sources said.
An external robotic arm with artificial intelligence capabilities is one of the elements that NASA has already identified as a possible Canadian contribution.
from Update Trend News https://ift.tt/2IIt7aD
0 Comments