Lisa Campbell is the new president of the Canadian Space Agency.
Campbell moves over from Veterans Affairs Canada where she was Associate Deputy Minister.
For first time, a woman to head Canada’s Space Agency
Lisa Campbell becomes the first woman to head the Canadian Space Agency.
Campbell takes over the agency as Canada prepares to participate in a new lunar mission.
Government of Canada announced today that Lisa Campbell will replace Sylvain Laporte as president of the CSA. The news release announcing her appointment noted that new appointments to key agencies and departments “respect the principle of diversity.”
“One thing I have learned through my career is you’ve got to dream big and you’ve got to reach for your own stars. So I tried to do that throughout my career,” Campbell told CBC News. “I am humbled and honoured by this opportunity.”
Campbell takes over the CSA as Canada charts a new course in space exploration, in part through a partnership with the international community on a new lunar program.
Canada is working with other countries to build a space station intended to orbit the moon — the Lunar Gateway project. The station is being billed as both a laboratory and, as the CSA puts it, “a stepping stone” for future missions to Mars. One of Canada’s contributions to the U.S.-led mission will be an artificial intelligence-based robotic system, the Canadarm3.
The choice of someone who does not have a science or technology background, nor any space experience, will come as a surprise to the space community. Ms. Campbell will most certainly have leaderships skills as she wouldn’t have been selected otherwise. Where she might lack in knowledge she’ll need to rely on CSA executives, Director Generals and the Science Advisor as needed
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