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Canada’s astronauts set to receive new assignments during space agency announcement

Nov 22, 2023 | 2:03 AM

LONGUEUIL, Que. — Some Canadian astronauts are set to get new assignments today.

François-Philippe Champagne, the federal minister of innovation, science and industry, will announce the roles at the Canadian Space Agency headquarters, just south of Montreal.

There are currently four active Canadian astronauts, with the most junior pair – Jenni Sidey-Gibbons and Joshua Kutryk – selected in 2017.

They joined David Saint-Jacques and Jeremy Hansen, both of whom became part of the astronaut corps in 2009. 

Saint-Jacques spent more than six months aboard the International Space Station in 2018 and 2019, while the other three have yet to fly in space.

Hansen is set to take part in the Artemis II mission, which will send a crew of four into space as early as November 2024 for a flight around the moon.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2023.

The Canadian Press