Science

James Moore on Canada's future in space: To the moon and beyond

Canada has a future in space exploration, including sending people to the moon and to Mars, Industry Minister James Moore agreed Friday in an interview with astronaut Chris Hadfield, guest host of CBC Radio's The Current.

'This is what's next. We're technologically capable of doing it,' Canada's industry minister says

Industry Minister James Moore sees a bright future for Canada in space exploration. (Canadian Press)

Canada has a future in space exploration, including sending people to the moon and to Mars, Industry Minister James Moore agreed Friday in an interview with astronaut Chris Hadfield, guest host of CBC Radio's The Current.

Chris Hadfield, former commander of the International Space Station, guest hosted CBC's The Current on Friday. (CBC)

He was concurring with Hadfield's assessment that "moving humans off Earth to the solar system" is what lies ahead in U.S. and Canadian space programs.

"This is what's next," Moore said. "We're technologically capable of doing it."

He added:"The global aspiration to get into space and to move beyond what is contemporarily known is the great curiosity of man."

Earlier, discussing co-operation of the kind that made the space station possible, Moore said such international partnerships were threatened by cyberattacks like the one that occurred in July against Canada's National Research Council by China.

Moore called it "a state-sponsored attack by China on Canada's technological framework at Canada's national research centre."