\t\t\t\t\t Thousands of people filled the seats of Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place-des-Arts for a panel featuring the astronauts of the Artemis II mission on Friday, May 15. Hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM), the discussion marked the final stop on the group\u2019s Canada tour<\/a>, which featured a meeting<\/a> with Prime Minister Mark Carney.<\/p>\n The crew of the Orion<\/a> capsule\u2014Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Reid Wiseman\u2014joined CCMM president and CEO Isabelle Dessureault onstage for the discussion. Fellow Canadian Jenni Gibbons, the crew\u2019s Earth-based voice link and crew backup<\/a> to Hansen, also sat on the panel.<\/p>\n The crew achieved several milestones<\/a>, including the first person of colour (Glover), the first woman (Koch) and the first non-American (Hansen) to travel to the moon. It also marked the first time<\/a> humans left lower Earth orbit since the Apollo 17<\/a> mission, and surpassed Apollo 13\u2019s record<\/a> for the furthest distance humans had ever ventured away from Earth.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hansen welcomed the crowd in French, drawing a round of applause for the London, Ont.<\/a> native. Gibbons further energized the attendants with a cry of \u201cGo Habs Go,\u201d rousing chants of \u201cOl\u00e9\u201d from the gathered spectators.<\/p>\n While the crew members recognized the historical importance of their expedition, they couldn\u2019t hide their awe and appreciation for the moments they shared. Wiseman, the mission\u2019s commander, reflected on the view from the capsule as it passed through the galaxy.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see it like we’re on the stage and it\u2019s a theatre performance and you see where the stars are in the galaxy, you see a depth to it,\u201d Wiseman said. \u201cAnd you’re not watching it from your point of view, you’re looking at it from in the galaxy. And that was extraordinary.\u201d<\/p>\n Hansen recounted the capsule\u2019s short communications blackout when Orion passed<\/a> behind the moon. While the team had studied photos of the moon\u2019s surface in training, the images paled in comparison to the true experience.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s extraordinary to see that with your own eyes and just to really comprehend that, that you don’t see from images that are stitched together,\u201d Hansen said. \u201cWe didn’t see a mosaic of images. We saw the moon.\u201d<\/p>\n Artemis II represented the latest stage of the Artemis program, the first missions to the moon for scientific study since the Apollo<\/a> program. NASA plans to send the first manned mission of the program to the lunar surface by 2028, a milestone that it hopes to repeat annually.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gibbons clarified Artemis II\u2019s role as a testing ground for future<\/a> missions, noting that aspects like remote medical kits, food and water supplies and an optical communications array were flight crew objectives.<\/p>\n \u201cThis mission is a stepping stone, but at its heart, it was a test mission,\u201d Gibbons said. \u201cSo many of the technologies that this crew and the ground team were able to prove out and develop for this mission will be used for future missions.\u201d<\/p>\n Wiseman used the opportunity to acknowledge the work ahead, rallying support for innovation continuation and investment in the space sector.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI was talking at the Canadian Space Agency yesterday, and I asked Canada to be ready,\u201d Wiseman said. \u201cBecause we have a tremendous amount of work ahead, and it is your brains and the place you live that have taught you exactly how you need to function on the moon.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t \t\t\t\tThe crew\u2019s authentic bond was obvious throughout the panel as the members shared memories of their collective success. Photo Daniel Gonzalez<\/p>\n Concordia University remained a point of interest throughout the event, notably when Dessureault acknowledged businessman and astronaut Mark Pathy\u2019s historic $15 million donation<\/a>\u00a0to launch the Mark Pathy Space Institute at the Gina Cody School of Engineering.\u00a0<\/p>\n Concordia president Graham Carr, who attended the event with Pathy, reflected on the role the donation would play in the development of the university as a hub for innovation in the space sector.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think for current students or for future students, the symbol of that gift [makes it] clear that countries want to invest in this area for the future,\u201d Carr said. \u201cIt’s got to be incredibly motivating.\u201d<\/p>\n A cohort of students from Space Concordia<\/a> also attended<\/a> the event and met with Carr and Pathy at the event\u2019s conclusion. Helia Borran, co-project manager for Space Concordia\u2019s Solid Rocketry division<\/a>, celebrated the panel as an acknowledgement of the need for investment in the development of the university\u2019s space program.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing that even people in history, professional astronauts, are really focusing on developing talent, you see that we are actually doing something important that makes us very proud to be doing this,\u201d Borran said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Throughout the discussion, the crew\u2019s camaraderie shone through, cracking jokes and adding tidbits to each other\u2019s stories. Hansen emphasized the importance of having a tight-knit group, adding that the crew worked extensively with its behavioural health team to improve communication and teamwork.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we learned was we know, and no matter what happens, whatever hurdle we run into, we know at the center of that is a desire to be a strong team,\u201d Hansen said. \u201cAnd truly underneath all that, we do love each other. And so when we don’t feel it inside, we try to get back to it as soon as we can.\u201d<\/p>\n As the panel drew to a close, Glover called on the attendants aged 25 and under to raise their hands. In his final remarks, he called on the audience to focus on investing in the future of space exploration.\u00a0<\/p>\n Borran expressed her appreciation for the recognition of youth programs like Space Concordia, which prioritizes the advancement of its members in pursuit of future projects.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOne of our main focuses, besides our project, is talent development. We’re trying to teach people the skills necessary to go far and beyond, to reach the moon,\u201d Borran said. \u201cSo this day means a lot for a lot of us.\u201d<\/p>\n Carr discussed his excitement about the university\u2019s growth and development in the space sector, calling back to his conversations with Space Concordia after the event.<\/p>\n \u201cI said to them, \u2018I wish I were a lot younger right now,\u2019\u201d Carr said. \u201cBecause if you were remotely interested in outer space, space exploration, space engineering, health in space, this is the moment and this is the place.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Samuel Kayll is\u00a0The Link’s Vol. 46 sports editor. His love for Korean barbecue is surpassed only by his love for the San Antonio Spurs.<\/p>\n \t
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\n\t\t\t\t\tThe crew of the Artemis II mission was greeted by a packed house at Place-des-Arts on the final stop of their Canada tour. Photo Daniel Gonzalez<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/12.news.artemis.sam.online.daniel.1U5A7599_900_600_90.jpg\")
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