One small step for Alberta town: Residents of Athabasca hope to share name with lunar rover

Residents of the town of Athabasca in northern Alberta are thrilled at the possibility of sharing their town’s name with the first Canadian rover set to explore the moon. The Canadian Space Agency is currently seeking a name for the four-wheeled, one-metre-tall robot that will search for water and resources on Earth’s celestial neighbor, and has put it to a vote.

Athabasca is one of the names on the shortlist, along with Courage, Glacier, and Pol-R, from which Canadians can choose. The town of Athabasca is located 145 kilometers north of Edmonton and is named after the river that runs through it. The river begins at the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park and flows all the way to Lake Athabasca in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Mayor Robert Balay of Athabasca mentioned that the potential rover name is inspired by the river rather than the town itself, but the idea has generated excitement among the nearly 3,000 residents. Balay admitted to casting two votes for the name Athabasca, breaking the rule of one vote per person. He expressed his delight at the prospect of the rover representing the town from afar.

Shauna Zenteno, the dean of Athabasca University’s faculty of science, has been encouraging colleagues to vote for the rover to put the town on the global and intergalactic maps. Michael Borody, a long-time resident of Athabasca, also showed his support by voting for the name.

The lunar rover, which is set to be launched no earlier than 2026, will be the first of a fleet of rovers sent to the moon. Sandrine Masella, a spokesperson for the Canadian Space Agency, stated that the rover’s name must reflect the mission and have a connection to Canada. The name Athabasca was chosen because of Canada’s rivers and their historical significance as routes of discovery and exchange.

Caroline-Emmanuelle Morisset, a program scientist with the space agency, explained that Athabasca was selected from a list of 200 proposed names. The shortlist was carefully curated to ensure that the chosen name was bilingual, free of copyright issues, and unique.

The mission of the Canadian rover is to explore the moon’s South Pole, where it will search for water in the form of ice. This mission is crucial for future human presence in space, as water is essential for sustaining life and providing energy for rocket launches. The rover will be controlled remotely from Earth and powered by batteries and solar energy.

The Canadian rover represents a collaborative effort involving universities and companies from around the world, including NASA, Oxford University, and the University of Alberta. It is a symbol of groundbreaking exploration and discovery, and the naming contest allows people to feel involved in this historic mission.