The Canadian Space Agency is asking Canadians to weigh in on the best name for the first-ever Canadian rover on the Moon, and Athabasca made the shortlist for the historic robot.
From Nov. 20 to Dec. 20, everyone from Beaver Creek, Yukon to St. Johns N.L. can choose from a list of four names for the inaugural lunar rover, a type of robot that navigates the harsh environment of the Moon to test and demonstrate systems like surface mobility, telecommunications, and dust mitigation.
“The Canadian Space Agency wants its name to be representative of the mission or to allude to Canada’s legacy or future in space,” reads the website where Canadians can vote. “The rover will be the first in a series of anticipated lunar rovers, and its name should be inspiring!”
Residents of the Town of Athabasca were surprised to see their communities name as a possible option, even if the namesake stems from the river instead of the municipality.
"The association is still there. It's an honour and something that we may be able to hang our hat on in the future," said Mayor Rob Balay. "We'll see if we're lucky enough for it to end up being named the Athabasca."
The options
Athabasca is one of the four final names, in reference to the Athabasca River, which flows from the Rockies, through Alberta, and into Lake Athabasca in the northeast tip of the province.
“Canada’s rivers and streams have been the routes of the continent for millennia and continue to be pathways of discovery, transport, and exchange,” said the agency. “The names of the rivers also reflect Canada’s diversity and heritage. Future rovers from our fleet could continue this trend by taking names of other Canadian natural wonders.”
The other options are: Courage “to be brave and confident to do what you believe in” Glacier, “glaciers are made of ice and that is what the rover will be looking for” and Pol-R — the rover will be landing on the Moon’s south pole.
Voting requires an email address and a name, and is limited to one vote per email account.
"I voted twice using my personal email and my mayor email," said Balay with a laugh. "It let me do it so I took advantage."