The Canadian Space Agency and Mars

Chapter 1 · 1957 – 1990 From the Alouette satellite to the agency

Canada entered space through upper-atmosphere science and robotics. Its space agency was only created in 1989.

Alouette

On March 11, 1959, NASA approved a Canadian proposal: to build the Alouette I satellite to study the ionosphere, which the Americans would launch. John Herbert Chapman, whom Canada regards as the father of its space program, led the Alouette/ISIS scientific satellite program. Back on October 4, 1957, within hours of Sputnik 1’s launch, Chapman and his colleagues had been the first to record its beeps. Alouette I lifted off on September 29, 1962, on a Thor-Agena B rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California (September 28 in the evening, local time): Canada became the third nation, after the Soviet Union and the United States, to design and build its own satellite. Alouette I operated until September 30, 1972, nine years longer than planned.

Canadarm and the astronauts

The Canadian robotic arm, Canadarm, flew on American space shuttles. On December 5, 1983, Canada selected its first six astronauts. In October 1984 Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space, aboard the shuttle Challenger. The Canadian Space Agency was created on March 1, 1989, with Larkin Kerwin as its first president. On December 14, 1990, the Canadian Space Agency Act gave it its legal framework.

Sources: Canadian Space Agency, “Canadian space milestones” (Alouette I approved by NASA on March 11, 1959, John Herbert Chapman and the Alouette/ISIS program, Sputnik 1’s beeps recorded on October 4, 1957, Canadarm on the shuttles, the six astronauts of December 5, 1983, Marc Garneau from October 5 to 13, 1984 on STS-41G, Alouette I launched on September 29, 1962 and ceased activity on September 30, 1972, CSA created on March 1, 1989 and Larkin Kerwin, Canadian Space Agency Act of December 14, 1990).

Chapter 2 · 1998 – 2029 Canadian instruments to Mars

Canada has placed its instruments on three missions to Mars: a Japanese probe, and an American lander and rover. One of them saw snow falling on Mars.

On Nozomi

The Japanese Nozomi probe, launched in July 1998, carried a small 3.25-kilogram Canadian instrument, the Thermal Plasma Analyzer, meant to measure the density and temperature of the plasma around Mars. Its principal investigator was Andrew Yau of the University of Calgary. According to the Canadian Space Agency, a strong solar flare in April 2002 caused a short circuit in one of the probe’s subsystems, making its orbit insertion impossible; the specialist press also reported that the flare damaged the power system and communications. On December 9, 2003, the Japanese space agency gave up on orbit insertion.

Phoenix’s snow

On August 4, 2007, NASA launched the Phoenix lander. On May 25, 2008, it touched down near Mars’s northern polar cap, in Vastitas Borealis; it operated there for more than five months, far beyond its planned 90 days. It was the first time Canada landed on Mars. Its contribution was a weather station that recorded the daily weather: a mast with three temperature sensors, the top one about 2.3 meters above the ground, a pressure sensor provided by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, a small wind indicator provided by Denmark’s Aarhus University, and a lidar, a laser instrument pointed at the sky. It was the first time a lidar operated on the surface of another planet. Built by MDA of Brampton with the Toronto company Optech, the shoebox-sized lidar fired its pulses up to twenty kilometers high, using about thirty watts.

The most striking result: the station confirmed that it snows on Mars, detecting snowflakes falling from clouds about four kilometers above the lander. It also observed ice and dust clouds, ground fog and dust devils. Temperatures ranged from −33 to −100 °C; winds typically blew at 11 to 18 kilometers per hour, up to 58 kilometers per hour.

APXS on Curiosity

On the Curiosity rover, which landed on August 6, 2012, the Canadian Space Agency provided the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer, APXS, built by MDA. About the size of a Rubik’s cube, mounted at the end of the rover’s arm, it bombards a sample with X-rays and alpha particles to determine its chemical composition, in two to three hours, or ten minutes for a quick look. Its principal investigator is Ralf Gellert of the University of Guelph. In 2024, after Curiosity crushed a rock, APXS found pure sulfur crystals inside, never seen on Mars before. As of February 1, 2026, it had analyzed 1,761 samples and returned 3,943 results; Canada has extended its participation in the mission to March 2029.

Sources: Canadian Space Agency, “Canadian space milestones” (the 3.25-kg Thermal Plasma Analyzer on Nozomi, Andrew Yau, the April 2002 solar flare and short circuit, the Japanese confirmation, dated by the CSA to December 10, 2003, Phoenix launch on August 4, 2007, Curiosity landing on August 6, 2012); CSA, “Phoenix Mars Mission” (May 25, 2008, Vastitas Borealis, more than five months, first time Canada landed on Mars, weather station, sensors, Finland and Aarhus, first lidar on the surface of another planet, MDA and Optech, 20 km, 30 W, snow at about 4 km, clouds, fog, dust devils, temperatures and winds); CSA, “The APXS instrument: Canada’s contribution to Curiosity” (operation, size, analysis times, Ralf Gellert, MDA, sulfur in 2024, 1,761 samples and 3,943 results as of February 1, 2026, extension to March 2029). This collection’s book on JAXA dates Nozomi’s abandonment to December 9, 2003, from JAXA; the CSA gives December 10.

Chapter 3 · 2019 – 2026 Canadarm3 and the Moon

To prepare for deep exploration, Canada is betting on what it does best, robotics, and on a seat in the Artemis II crew.

Canadarm3

On February 28, 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would partner with NASA on Gateway, the station meant to orbit the Moon. It will contribute Canadarm3, a highly autonomous robotic system able to perform tasks around the Moon without human intervention. On December 16, 2020, signing the Gateway Treaty with NASA secured Canada two astronaut flights: one on Artemis II, the first crewed mission to the Moon since 1972, the other to live and work aboard Gateway.

Jeremy Hansen

On April 3, 2023, astronaut Jeremy Hansen was named to Artemis II, with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch. Canada became the second country in history to send an astronaut around the Moon. From April 1 to 10, 2026, the Artemis II crew traveled around the Moon and back: it lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on April 1 and splashed down in the Pacific off San Diego on April 10.

A rover for Mars?

The Canadian Space Agency also has a prototype Mars rover, MESR, built by MDA: six wheels, 250 kilograms, able to carry a robotic arm with a microscope and a small corer. As early as March 2002, the agency was studying how Canadian mining expertise could help collect samples on Mars.

Sources: CSA, “Canadian space milestones” (announcement of February 28, 2019, Canadarm3, Gateway Treaty of December 16, 2020 and the two flights, Jeremy Hansen named on April 3, 2023 and the second country around the Moon, NORCAT drilling study in March 2002); CSA, “MESR – Mars Exploration Science Rover” page (MDA, six wheels, 250 kg, arm, microscope and corer); NASA, blogs page (the Artemis II crew traveled around the Moon and back, data released in 2026); NASA, “Artemis II Launch Day Updates,” April 1, 2026, and “Artemis II Flight Day 10: Live Re-Entry Updates,” April 10, 2026 (liftoff on April 1, splashdown on April 10 off San Diego). The exact date of the Artemis II flight does not appear in the excerpts consulted.