Canada Going To Mars?

In a speech on the 40th anniversary of John F. Kennedys famous pledge to put an American on the moon, the Canadian Space Agencys Marc Garneau put a challenge to the Canadian space exploration community: "Lets go to Mars." Fourteen months later, Canadian scientists are responding with a resounding "Yes!" The Mars buzz is in response to NASAs Mars Scout 2007 Mission, a call for innovative, cut-rate Mars science projects that can include a foreign component. Piggybacking on the U.S.-led project, Canadian space researchers are submitting a total of nine potential Mars projects, including an ambitious plan for an all-Canadian Mars lander and mini-rover."We believe we can do it," says Ben Quine, a University of Toronto atmospheric physics professor and space technology entrepreneur whoís the project leader for the all-Canadian lander project, dubbed Northern Light.
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