One will fly to the Space Station with the first operational launch of Boeing’s Starliner, while the other will play a important role in upcoming missions to the Moon.
The newest members of Canada’s astronaut core just received their first mission assignments, putting them on course to continue our nation’s leading role in space exploration.
Wednesday, November 22, 2023 was a big day for Canadian astronauts Jenni Gibbons and Joshua Kutryk. On that day, François-Philippe Champagne, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, stood in front of a gathering of CSA employees, space industry experts, academics, and press, to announce their first missions to space.
Minister Champagne poses with CSA astronauts Jenni Gibbons and Joshua Kutryk, along with CSA president Lisa Campbell, at Canadian Space Agency headquarters on November 22, 2023, following the announcement of new space missions for Gibbons and Kutryk. Credit: Canadian Space Agency
Jenni Gibbons, who was selected by the CSA in 2017, is now the official backup crew member for Jeremy Hansen on the Artemis II lunar mission.
Currently, Artemis II is scheduled to launch sometime in late 2024. Following up on the uncrewed Artemis I flight in 2022, the new mission will see four astronauts conduct a 10-day trip around the Moon and back on board an Orion spacecraft. The primary crew for the flight is filled by NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
In addition, each position on a space launch traditionally has a backup crew member. There’s no news yet on the backup crew for NASA’s astronauts. However, if Jeremy Hansen is unable to make the flight, Gibbons will step in to take his place. This assignment guarantees that a Canadian will be flying around the Moon on Artemis II.
“For me, it’s a privilege to be a support astronaut for Jeremy Hansen for the lunar mission,” Gibbons said during the announcement. Listing off the various roles she will play and training she will receive, she concluded by saying: “With this experience, I’m anxious to see what awaits Canada in the future. Regardless of what it is, I will be ready.”
