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OTTAWA — To paraphrase David Bowie, they’re going to float a tin can far above the moon.

The Canadian government is looking at technologies that could contribute to a “deep space habitat” orbiting the moon and, eventually, a human mission to Mars, according to a letter of interest posted Wednesday on a federal procurement website.

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The document, which is supposed to inform Canada’s space-tech sector about the government’s priorities, says the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is looking to work with International Space Station partners on new initiatives that will test human resilience in space.

In its federal budget tabled last week, the Liberal government committed $80.9 million in new money, over five years, to the CSA to “underscore Canada’s commitment to innovation and leadership in space.”

That includes money for “Mars surface observation,” the budget document says, which will help Canada join the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) next Mars orbiter mission. A CSA spokesperson said the money tied to Wednesday’s letter accounts for only $3.3 million in potential spending, technically connected to last year’s budget commitment of $379 million for Canada’s participation in the International Space Station program.