Madam Chair, thank you for this opportunity.
I tabled a notice of motion on Friday afternoon, and I'd like to speak to that now if I could. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to table the motion so that all of us collectively, as the science committee, can recognize the achievements of the Artemis II mission and its crew, who successfully returned home to planet earth on Friday evening.
Like many Canadians, my family and I were glued to our television sets, watching the re-entry of the Artemis crew. I'm not sure if others felt the same way, but as I kept watching the spacecraft descend at rapidly increasing speeds, I kept wondering why no parachutes were being deployed. Eventually they would be, and then the successful splashdown was achieved.
The success of the Artemis mission is a testament to scientific discovery and what it can mean for all of us. As Winston Churchill once said, “The only limits to human progress are those that are made by our own shortcomings. Science is ready to extend the frontiers of every country without injury to the rights of others and to increase the well-being of every people at the expense of none.”
With that, I would like to seek my colleagues' support for the following motion:
That the Standing Committee on Science and Research recognize and commend the successful advancements of the Artemis II mission as a significant milestone in space exploration and scientific collaboration; that the Committee congratulate all partners involved, including the Canadian Space Agency and NASA; that the Committee extend its sincere congratulations and recognition to crew members Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch; and that the Committee recognize Canadian Jeremy Hansen’s participation as highlighting Canada’s continued leadership and contributions to space exploration, science, and research.
Thank you, Madam Chair.