Space Policy Online reports that NASA and the Canadian Space Agency have reached a decision that would, among other things, involve a Canadian astronaut on the Artemis II mission, which was planned to orbit four astronauts the moon in 2023. The Artemis II would precede the Artemis III mission to arrive on the moon next year, even though most consider that date impractical.
Other parts of the agreement related to the development and installation of a Canadian-built robotic arm on the Lunar Gate, the proposed lunar orbital motion station. A second Canadian astronaut will travel to Lunar Gate.
The as yet unrecognized Canadian astronaut is the first non-American to orbit the Earth’s low orbit. The inclusion shows that Artemis is not your grandfather’s lunar study program. The international aspects of the 21st century moon have a long-term desert. As far back as 1984, when President Ronald Reagan announced the project that became the International Space Station, Canada, Japan and the western European countries were introduced as a -parties. Later, President Bill Clinton introduced Russia as a partner for the space station.
The Apollo race to the moon was made to prove the technological sovereignty of America to the Soviet Union. The program was a great success with this goal. The Soviets never overcame their humiliation.
The Artemis program has a similar but quieter political reason. By returning astronauts to the moon and seeking international participation in the mission, the United States is trying to establish itself as a global leader in space exploration. America also plans to gather a lot of international goodwill by inviting other countries to join Artemis, which will feature their nationals walking on the moon with Americans.
Artemis will show China, which also has lunar secrets, that what it takes to do the same thing is now in the country that men did on the moon 50 years ago. Now therefore, the United States is the world leader in space exploration. China, because of its inaccessible hostility to the United States and the rest of the western world, is not a candidate for a space exploration partnership.
The third purpose of Artemis ’international partnerships is to keep the incoming Biden administration from canceling the project. By lining up international partners for Artemis, the Trump administration hopes to eliminate Biden from the impossible project. Team Biden has made a major case for Trump’s withdrawal from international agreements, such as the Paris Climate Pacts and the Iran Nuclear Agreement. It would not be a good idea, with that astronomy, if the future Biden broke the agreements, including Artemis Accords, which is trying to explain what good behavior in space.
Jim Bridenstine
James (Jim) Frederick BridenstineNASA selects Artemis’ next moon walkers while SpaceX flies Starship First to break the sound barrier, Chuck Yeager dies at 97 Hill Morning Report – On presentation by Facebook – Congress will face end-of-year crisis; Biden chooses his defense secretary MORE, the outgoing NASA administrator, has proven its worth by negotiating the various Artemis agreements. His most recent act, in addition to the Canadian agreement, is to force Brazil to join the growing list of countries as part of Artemis Accords.
Ironically, Senate Trade Committee Democrats accused Bridenstine at his confirmation hearings, saying that, rather than a politician (he was a communicator at the time), NASA needed on an “aerospace professional” as a director. Bridenstine won confirmation anyway. He has since used his political skills to not only earn a bipartisan conference permit for Artemis, but international support as well.
Bridenstine has promised to step down as NASA administrator once Biden is inaugurated as president of the United States. The decision is a tragedy as the former Naval caller and aviator has done so well over the space agency, even winning over his old critics. Whoever chooses Team Biden to replace Bridenstine should be someone with the skill set and the passion to bring Artemis home to Kathy Lueders, NASA’s usual human space flight effort leader, who including Artemis and the commercial crew program.
As for Bridenstine, perhaps he could offer the position of Special Ambassador for Space Exploration, so that he can continue his diplomatic work building the Artemis Alliance to return to the moon.
Many astronauts from other countries will follow that first Canada to deep space. They come from Europe, Asia and maybe even the Middle East. America went to the moon by itself, before the eyes of the world, 50 years ago. This time she will bring the world back to the surface of the moon so she will gain a lot of international influence and credit.
Mark Whittington, a regular contributor to space and politics, has published a political study on space exploration called Why is it so hard to go back to the moon? as well as “The Moon, Mars and Beyond. He blogs at Curmudgeons Corner.” He has published in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Hill, USA Today, the LA Times and the Washington Post, among other places other.