My distant relative, the painter Amedeo Modigliani, comes to mind. In his most stirring paintings, the models he chose were anonymous people, children and street girls, maids, small farmers, young apprentices.
The Artemis II spaceship displays both the USA and Canada flags because the mission is a collaborative effort between NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), featuring a Canadian astronaut, Jeremy Hansen, as part of the four-person crew. This partnership highlights Canada's significant contributions to space exploration, including the Canadarm3 robotics technology for the Lunar Gateway.
Key reasons for the joint representation include:
International Partnership: Canada is a key partner in the Artemis Accords, which aim to explore the Moon sustainably.
Canadian Crew Member: Jeremy Hansen is the first Canadian to travel beyond low-Earth orbit and the first non-American to fly to the vicinity of the Moon.
Historical and Technological Ties: The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) developed the Canadarm robotic systems (1, 2, and 3), which are vital to US shuttle and station operations.
Astronaut Support & Collaboration: The mission, featuring American astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch alongside Hansen, showcases the strong alliance and shared technological achievements of the two countries.
The Canadian flag on the Orion spacecraft and Hansen's spacesuit symbolises that all of Canada is part of this historic mission, which brings together international, intergovernmental, and Indigenous partners.