Canadian rover set to explore the moon for the first time in history (PHOTO/VIDEO)

Canada is set to make another “giant leap for mankind.”

For the first time in history, a Canadian rover will be sent to the moon to help in the international search for water ice, a key component needed for the future of human space exploration.

According to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the rover is the outcome of decades of building and refining Canadian expertise in rover technology.

“Designing a rover that can withstand the harsh lunar environment is extremely complex, but today is proof that Canada’s space industry thrives on challenges and is ready to exceed expectations,” stated François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science and industry, in a statement.

Canada will set wheels on the Moon! The very first Canadian rover will help in the international search for water ice in the lunar soil. 🇨🇦

Learn more: https://t.co/b8R8bJlxLQ

Video: CSA, NASA pic.twitter.com/xBogDznHhY

— Canadian Space Agency (@csa_asc) November 14, 2022

Champagne awarded a $43 million contract to Ontario company Canadensys Aerospace Corporation to build the first Canadian lunar rover.

Planetary geologist Gordon “Oz” Osinski from Western University will head the team of scientists, developing the overall scientific plan for the mission and analyzing satellite data from the moon to identify potential landing sites.

“I’m honestly overwhelmed, and it hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Osinski told Western News. “It’s a cliché but I truly feel this is a culmination of everything I’ve worked towards throughout my academic career. It’s very, very exciting.”

The rover’s mission

The Canadian lunar rover will fly as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative and would land in the south polar region of the moon as early as 2026.

According to the CSA, the rover will carry six scientific payloads: five Canadian and one American.

These payloads are essentially the different tools and technologies that’ll help in the search for water ice.

“Rovers act like scientists’ eyes and hands – they help gather information on samples of elements at different locations, and send data back to Earth,” says the CSA.

“Using their tools and instruments, they can help scientists learn more about important resources on the moon that will be needed to establish a long-term presence on the moon and send humans farther into space.”

But how will it survive the harsh lunar environment?

The CSA says the rover will have the ability to drive and operate through lunar polar regions that never receive direct sunlight.

It will also be designed to survive the long lunar nights, when temperatures can drop to less than -200°C.

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Canada isn’t the only country continuing to explore the moon.

In September, NASA launched Artemis I, its first moon mission in 50 years.