Canada Commits to ISS Through 2030 As Biden Highlights Artemis Cooperation

Canada now has joined Japan and the European Space Agency in committing to continued support of the International Space Station through 2030. The announcement was made today during President Biden’s visit to Canada where he addressed the Canadian Parliament and highlighted the imminent announcement of the Artemis II crew, which will include a Canadian astronaut.

Canada is a long-time partner in NASA’s human spaceflight program, providing the robotic Canadarm for the space shuttle and Canadarm2 for the ISS.  The United States has been seeking agreement from Canada and the other ISS partners — Europe, Japan and Russia — to extend ISS operations to 2030.

Today Canada joined Japan and Europe in committing to the extension.

Today, Canada announced its commitment to extend its participation on the @Space_Station through 2030.

NASA is proud to continue our partnership with @csa_asc on station to benefit life for humanity here on Earth and out into the cosmos. pic.twitter.com/emGK4aPeyp

— Bill Nelson (@SenBillNelson) March 25, 2023

Russia has not formally agreed, but in February Roscosmos indicated it would submit documents to the Russian government to extend their participation to 2028, 30 years after the first ISS module, built by Russia, was launched.

In 2019, Canada was the first U.S. space partner to accept an invitation to participate in the Artemis program to return astronauts to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo program. A year later, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency announced that a Canadian astronaut would be aboard the first crewed Artemis mission around the Moon, Artemis II.

NASA and CSA are getting ready to announce the four Artemis II crew members — three Americans and a Canadian — on April 3. The launch is expected in late 2024.

Biden talked about that in his address to the Canadian Parliament today.

In his remarks to the Canadian Parliament, President Biden highlighted NASA & @csa_asc‘s #Artemis II crew announcement on April 3.

As @POTUS said, “Together, we’ll return to the moon. And from there, we look forward to Mars and to the limitless possibilities that lie beyond.” pic.twitter.com/mvKOfRLC3k

— Bill Nelson (@SenBillNelson) March 24, 2023

In just a few days NASA’s going to announce an international team of astronauts who will crew the Artemis II mission, the first human voyage to the Moon since Apollo missions ended more than 50 years ago.

It will consist of three Americans and one Canadian. [applause]

We choose to return to the Moon together, together return to the Moon.  And from there we look forward to Mars and to the limitless possiblities that lie beyond. And here on Earth our children who watch that flight will learn the names of those new pioneers. They’ll be the ones who carry us into the future we hope to build, the Artemis generation. — President Biden

Artemis II is a crewed test flight of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew spacecraft. It will not attempt to enter orbit around the Moon, much less land. Instead it will be on a free-return trajectory that will bring Orion back to Earth even if the engines do not operate properly.

NASA successfully completed the Artemis I uncrewed test flight in December.