Garneau Wants (Robotic) Canadian Mars Mission

The ex-president of the Canadian Space Agency thinks a Mars mission would create jobs and a lasting high-tech legacy.

Liberal MP and former astronaut Marc Garneau wants the government to mount a concerted effort to send an all-robotic mission to Mars. With just four days to go before the launch of NASA's final space-shuttle mission, Garneau says the Canadian Space Agency's budget should be doubled to nearly $1 billion so that it can take on more ambitious projects, such as developing robotic rovers to scour the surface of the red planet. Garneau, who, in 1984, became the first ever Canadian to visit space, said investing in the CSA would create cutting-edge jobs in a field that brought the country international renown for the Canadarm.