Community gathers in Ottawa to watch launch of Artemis II rocket

Mission Control Space Services, an Ottawa-based space software company, is watching the lunar launch with anticipation. CTV’s Dylan Dyson reports.

People gathered in Ottawa Wednesday evening to watch the launch of the Artemis II rocket as it was broadcast live.

The National Arts Centre showed the live feed of the NASA rocket launch on its five-storey Kipnes Lantern. People gathered on Elgin Street to take in the spectacle.

At the Centre for Geography and Exploration, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society was also hosting a watch party.

Canadian Jeremy Hansen and the crew of Artemis II took off just after 6:30 p.m. Wednesday on a mission to circle the moon. The 10-day mission will see Artemis II slingshot around the moon on a free-return trajectory, landing back on Earth in the Pacific Ocean. The four astronauts aboard will travel farther away from planet Earth than any humans have before.

“I really like studying space and it’s been such a long time, so it’s really nice getting to watch it live,” said young Adelaide, watching at the NAC.

“I think we missed the first moon launch because we were a little too young,” her dad said. “So, this is our first go.”

• Canadian astronaut circling Earth after successful Artemis II lunar launch

There was a slight delay ahead of the launch, but when the NASA countdown clock started moving from 10 minutes, excitement began to build. The crowd outside the NAC counted down the last 10 seconds before liftoff and cheered as the powerful rocket shot into the air, travelling at incredible speed.

“When it did lift off, huge cheer in the room, then another huge cheer when the solid rocket boosters fell away,” said Canadian Geographic editor-in-chief Alexandra Pope. “This is the first time humans have left Earth’s orbit in over 50 years. He’s (Hansen) the first Canadian to fly around the moon.”

It’s not just space enthusiasts and the next generation of astronauts watching and being inspired, local technology companies are keeping a close eye on the mission.

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At Ottawa’s Mission Control, they’re looking to go to the moon one day.

“This is really important. Some of the technology we’re developing here, we’re hoping to deliver to the lunar surface in the coming years,” said Andrew MacDonald, director of AI and autonomy at the Ottawa-based company. “It’s incredibly exciting. This is probably the biggest space event since I was born, which was 1988, because this is the first time humans are going to be going past lunar orbit since the Apollo era.”

Mission Control is developing lunar rovers to explore the surface of Earth’s closest celestial partner.

“Even though nothing that I’ve done is on this, it’s a reminder that what I do in this industry I’m part of is something that people do look at, and it’s cool to be a part of that,” said robotics engineer Riley Cameron-Rogers.

The field of robotics is how Canada got its foot—or arm—in the space exploration door, through technology like the Canadarm, which is entering its third generation. Ottawa’s MDA Space is working on the Canadarm3.

“We send our Canadian astronauts up because of our contributions to the space station, which is Canadarm2, Dextre, etc.,” said Cassandra Marion, science advisor at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. “Our contributions in robots to now, the Artemis program, has gotten us another seat on an Artemis mission.”

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Hansen, the 50-year-old from London, Ont., is serving as the mission specialist for Artemis II and will become the first non-American to go into deep space.

“Jeremy is a Canadian Space Agency astronaut. He’s a public servant, and he really is representing all of us,” said Marion.

Just before liftoff, Hansen said, “We are going for all humanity.”

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Jackie Perez, Dylan Dyson and Shaun Vardon and from the Canadian Press