Artemis II crew visits Canada May 13

Prime Minister Mark Carney met the Artemis II crew in Ottawa on May 13 as the astronauts began a three-day visit to Canada that also included public appearances and meetings with students and industry groups. The Canadian Space Agency said the trip runs from May 13 to May 15 in Ottawa and Montreal and includes Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, backup Canadian astronaut Jenni Gibbons, and NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch. CBC reported that Carney told the crew their April 1 flight around the moon “inspired a country.” The visit came just over a month after Artemis II flew a crew around the moon and back aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft. ### Who was in Canada on May 13? The Canadian Space Agency said Jeremy Hansen, Jenni Gibbons, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch were scheduled to appear in Ottawa and Montreal during the visit. Hansen is the first Canadian assigned to a lunar mission, while Gibbons is the first Canadian-certified Artemis capcom, according to the National Arts Centre event listing. The CSA said the group would take part in public events, student outreach, stakeholder meetings and a limited number of interviews. (canada.ca) The National Arts Centre said the Ottawa program included a public conversation at 1:30 p.m. Eastern on May 13. The event description said the discussion would focus on the Artemis II mission and humanity’s return to the moon. ### What did Carney say to the astronauts in Ottawa? CBC reported that Carney welcomed the crew in Ottawa on Wednesday and told them their mission around the moon had served as an inspiration for the country. (canada.ca) The broadcaster said he thanked the astronauts “for what you’ve already done,” while photographs from Canadian Press coverage showed Carney exchanging gifts with the crew in his office. (asc-csa.gc.ca) Canadian Press coverage distributed by other outlets said Carney presented the astronauts with a Maple Leaf flag that had flown on the Peace Tower on the day they returned to Earth. The same coverage showed the crew presenting Carney with a plaque during the Ottawa stop. ### Why was Jeremy Hansen central to the Canada visit? (cbc.ca) Jeremy Hansen was the Canadian face of the Artemis II mission and the only Canadian assigned to the four-astronaut lunar flyby crew. CBC and other Canadian outlets framed the Ottawa events around Hansen’s return home with his crewmates after the April mission. Hansen told a National Arts Centre audience that young people would face obstacles and setbacks, according to Canadian Press reporting carried by Yahoo News. (ipolitics.ca) The Canadian Space Agency has tied Hansen’s role to Canada’s broader participation in Artemis. Its advisory on the visit linked the appearances to information pages on Artemis II and Canada’s role in lunar exploration. ### What was the message about international cooperation? The National Arts Centre said its May 13 event would feature Hansen alongside NASA astronauts Wiseman, Glover and Koch and CSA astronaut Gibbons in a discussion about the moon program. (cbc.ca) That lineup itself reflected the cross-agency structure of Artemis, which includes NASA and international partners such as Canada. (canada.ca) The Canadian Space Agency described the visit as a chance for the crew to engage Canadian space-sector stakeholders. CBC reported that the astronauts stressed international cooperation during the Ottawa events, linking the mission’s public message in Canada to the partnership behind the lunar program. ### Where does Moog fit into the story? (nac-cna.ca) Moog said in an April news release that its propulsion, life-support and communications hardware aboard Orion supported astronaut safety during the Artemis II mission. The company said its equipment performed aboard the spacecraft throughout the lunar flight. CBC reported that Moog’s hardware contributions were highlighted during meetings tied to the Canada visit. (canada.ca) Moog, based in East Aurora, New York, has separately publicized its role in Orion and other Artemis systems in the weeks since the mission. ### What happens next in Canada? The Canadian Space Agency said the Artemis II crew’s Canada program continues through May 15 with additional events in Montreal. (moog.com) The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal listed a May 15 morning appearance billed as “Meet the Artemis II crew,” and the CSA said the broader visit would continue to include public events, student outreach and meetings with space-sector participants. (canada.ca) (cbc.ca)