Prime Minister Mark Carney commended the Artemis II moon mission as a groundbreaking demonstration of global cooperation during a brief conversation with the crew on Wednesday. Carney expressed his admiration for the crew, consisting of commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, emphasizing the inspirational nature of their endeavor to explore space.
Hansen, the first Canadian to venture into deep space aboard the Orion spacecraft, engaged in a dialogue with Carney about the calculated risks involved in the Artemis II mission, highlighting the importance of collaborative risk-taking. Carney, in turn, conveyed Canada’s pride in Hansen’s accomplishments, prompting Hansen to express his own pride in Canada’s contributions to space exploration.
During the call, Carney extended an invitation for the entire crew to visit Canada upon their return to Earth, injecting humor by joking about Canadians’ preference for maple syrup over Nutella. The crew shared laughter in response to Carney’s lighthearted comment, reflecting the camaraderie between them.
The call, the last in a series of space-to-Earth connections facilitated by the Canadian Space Agency, was broadcast live from the John H. Chapman Space Centre in Longueuil, Quebec. Hansen interacted with the audience, showcasing a special patch designed by Anishinaabe artist Henry Guimond for viewers.
As the capsule heads back to Earth with a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on Friday, the crew engaged in various activities to prepare for re-entry, including testing a garment to aid in adjusting to Earth’s gravity. The mission set a new distance record, surpassing the previous mark set by Apollo 13 in 1970.
Additionally, the crew named two lunar craters, Integrity and Carroll, after their capsule and Wiseman’s late wife, respectively. They spent seven hours observing the moon’s surface and distant planets during the lunar flyby, reporting detailed sightings of Mars, Venus, and Saturn.
The historic significance of the Artemis II mission was emphasized through Carney’s words of encouragement and the crew’s remarkable achievements in space exploration.