Canadian astronaut ‘over the moon’ as she prepares to for Artemis 2 mission launch this year

2024 COULD BE AN HISTORIC YEAR FOR CANADA’S INVOLVEMENT IN SPACE EXPLORATION. THE ARTEMIS 2 MISSION COULD TAKE OFF AS EARLY AS THIS NOVEMBER. THE CALGARY ASTRONAUT WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE IN THE EXPEDITION AROUND THE MOON. GINA MARTIN HAS MORE. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR 2

ASTRONAUTS GOT TO MARK CANADA’S HISTORY IN SPACE IN NOVEMBER. 2023 CALGARY ZONE, JENNY GIBBONS WAS GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY OUT OF THIS WORLD DESIGNATED AS THE BACKUP CREW MEMBER TO CANADIAN ASTRONAUT JEREMY HANSEN ON THE UPCOMING ARTEMIS TO MENTION. OBVIOUSLY I WAS HAPPY WHEN I GOT EXCITED. GIBBONS PASSION FOR SCIENCE AND

ADVENTURE BEGAN AT AN EARLY AGE IN KANANASKIS COUNTRY. I THINK THAT WAS LIKE A REALLY EARLY FOR ME FIRST, THAT RAISES WANTED TO BE OUTSIDE. AND WITH THAT THE SKY. SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE ALSO TAKING ME. >> TAKE TO CALGARY AND ALBERTA FOR ME. AFTER GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL IN CALGARY, GIVEN

STUDIED ENGINEERING AND WORKED AS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE IN 2017. FOLLOWING RIGOROUS TRAINING, GIBBONS AND FELLOW ALBERTAN JOSHUA KUTRYK WERE SELECTED OUT OF THOUSANDS TO JOIN THE CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY TO BECOME ASTRONAUTS. THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF BEING AN ASTRONAUT IS JUST TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RIGHT

DECISIONS FOR YOUR COUNTRY. SHE NOW LIVES IN HOUSTON, BUT CALGARY IS HOME TO ONE OF THE LARGEST AMATEUR ASTRONOMY CLUBS IN CANADA INVOLVING HUNDREDS OF MEMBERS LIKE LATVIA. WHEN I WAS A YOUNG LAD BE A CANADIAN ASTRONAUT WAS NOT EVEN A DREAM. THERE WERE NO CANADIAN ASTRONAUT. >> NOW HE’S AMAZED AT THE

ADVANCEMENTS CANADIANS HAVE MADE AND THE PURSUIT OF EXPLORING THE FINAL FRONTIER. NOW JEREMY BEING SELECTED. >> IS THE FIRST KNOWN AMERICAN TO GO ON A MISSION. >> BECAUSE YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE THE EARTH’S ORBIT IN AND JENNY IS HIS BACKUP. I MEAN, MY GOSH, THIS IS HUGE. SHE IS ALSO

TRAINING TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO ARTEMIS MISSIONS FROM THE GROUND AS A LUNAR KEPT CALM, WHICH IS A NEW ROLE FOR CANADA. >> LEARN ITS LESSON POSSIBLY CAN. AND THIS TIME OF SUPPORT POSSIBLY CAN. WHILE THE DATA STILL UNCERTAIN, GIBBONS WILL HAVE A LOT OF HOMETOWN SUPPORT ON LAUNCH DAY FROM NEAR.

I WILL BE THERE IN FLORIDA SHARING JENNY ON AND FAR. GINA MARTIN CTV NEWS, CALGARY. >> AND JOSHUA KUTRYK FROM FORT SASKATCHEWAN HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO STARLINER. ONE A COMMERCIAL CREW MISSION TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION WHERE HE WILL LIVE AND WORK FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS. THAT MISSION

The Artemis 2 mission could take off as early as this November, and a Calgary astronaut will play a key role in that expedition.

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