Since the beginning of the Space Age, Canada has worked hand-in-hand with the United States to push the boundaries of exploration. The landing struts on Apollo 11 were built by a Quebec-based aerospace company. Canadarm was instrumental to NASA’s Space Shuttle missions, including the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope. Its successor, Canadarm2, continues the legacy aboard the International Space Station, where it has been used on nearly every mission since its installation by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield in 2001. A Canadian-built laser discovered snow on Mars aboard NASA’s Phoenix lander, and a Canadian infrared camera is helping us understand the evolution of the universe aboard the James Webb Space Telescope.
But in today’s political climate, we must ask: What does space mean for Canada now? What should our priorities be, and how can they serve all Canadians?
Read more: Trump’s Space Cuts Should be a Wake Up Call for Canada by Tanya Harrison