By Julienne Bay
Canadian government is hoping to inspire future generations to launch careers into space.
A plan to secure Canada’s future in space was the focus of an announcement this morning by Federal Industry Minister James Moore at Canada’s Space and Aviation Museum in Ottawa.
Moore said the plan is to “ensure that we’re inspiring Canada’s future generation,” following the success of astronaut Chris Hadfield’s mission.
The five principles are as follows:
- Canada First: our sovereignty, security and prosperity will be at the heart of Canada’s activities in Space.
- Using space to strengthen our economy: by supporting Canada’s space industry to bring to market cutting-edge technologies that promote jobs and growth.
- Working together globally: by partnering with other countries on major space projects like Canada’s continued commitment to the ISS.
- Promoting Canadian innovation: by investing in proven Canadian strengths, like robotics in the Canadarm2 and optics in the development of the James Webb Space Telescope.
- Inspiring Canadians: by building on our success and inspiring a future generation of Canadians interested in pursuing a career in space and its related disciplines.
Moore also said the government is committing $17 million to the James Webb telescope, a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.
The Minister was joined by the Canadian Space Agency President Walter Natynczyk and Canadian astronauts Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques.
“To know anything about Canadian history, it’s to know that we’re explorers…we’re already space explorers,” said Hansen.
Here is a timeline looking at the history of Canada in space
(info: Canadian Space Agency)