Article content

OTTAWA — The head of the U.S. space agency says he wants to see Canadian astronauts walking on the moon before long, as part of a first step toward the farther reaches of space.

Jim Bridenstine, the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, says he wants Canada’s decades-long space partnership with the U.S. to continue as NASA embarks on the creation of its new Lunar Gateway.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or NASA wants Canadian boots on moon as first step in deep space exploration Back to video

The U.S. is seeking broad international support for the next-generation space station it is planning to send into orbit around the moon starting in 2021.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or

Bridenstine says he wants Canada to contribute its expertise in artificial intelligence and robotics, and that could include a next-generation Canadarm on the Lunar Gateway and more Canadian technology inside.

He says NASA wants to create a “sustainable lunar architecture” that would allow people and equipment to go back and forth to the moon regularly.