The Canadian Space Agency's (CSA) external relations director Hugues Gilbert spoke to Flight about the country's involvement in NASA's Mars lander Phoenix, Canada's new astronaut recruitment process and its wider intentions for international collaboration with the International Space Station (ISS) and longer term manned missions to the Moon.Through the CSA Canada has astronauts going to the ISS next year, has provided robotic arms for NASA's Space Shuttle and the space station, instruments for other space missions and has an Earth observation programme that includes its participation in Europe's Global Monitoring for Environment and Security. Canada has a cooperating state status with European Space Agency.