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I am Artemis: Banu Kunas

I am Artemis: Banu Kunas

The road to the Moon has not been a straight one for Banu Kunas, Gateway Program integration manager for the Canadian Space Agency. Born in Ankara and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, she had very little exposure to space exploration while growing up. Her passion for math and science is what drove her.

Today, she is leading the integration of the concept, design and operations of Canadarm3, the next-generation Canadian robotic system that will perform tasks and enable science on and around NASA’s Gateway, and help to maintain the lunar-orbiting outpost. Canada’s contribution to the Gateway is following in the robotic footsteps of its predecessors, Canadarm on the space shuttle and Canadarm2 on the International Space Station.

But Kunas did not follow the development of robotics in space while growing up, as many of her contemporaries did.

“As a child, a career in space was not initially something I thought about, partially because aerospace wasn’t a big industry in Turkey.” Kunas shares, “My passion for math and science is what motivated me to pursue a degree in engineering.” 

Kunas studied computer engineering at a University in Turkey and then her path took her to Canada. She pursued her master’s degree in electrical engineering at McGill University, in Montreal, Canada, concentrating mostly on robotics. She gained more exposure to the Canadian Space Agency which sparked her passion for space. After working in the private sector for five years, she got into the government side of things. Her dream of working for the Canadian Space Agency became a reality in 1993.

“I feel very fortunate to work with an exceptional team. Working on a team with different backgrounds and experiences allows us to exchange ideas and work through challenges together,” she said. “We all have a common goal in mind. Our work can be very complex and demanding but collaborating with international partners helps to divide a heavy workload and find creative solutions together.”

For nearly 28 years, Kunas has been working in major space programs such as Radar Satellite and International Space Station at the Canadian Space Agency. Prior to joining the Gateway program in January 2020, she took on many different roles. As in her current role, Kunas worked closely with NASA and other International Space Station partners on the logistics and continuous engineering needed to support Canadarm2, part of Canada’s contribution to the orbiting laboratory. Through her work on Canadarm3 and the Gateway program, Kunas collaborates with international partners including NASA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the European Space Agency on a weekly basis.

“International collaboration gives us the opportunity to benefit from each other’s expertise, experience and resources to achieve what is unachievable otherwise. It makes it possible to minimize our costs and to share risks. I think how well we collaborate greatly impacts the outcomes we are targeting.”

Kunas is leveraging her knowledge and experience from work on Canadarm2 to advance the development and integration of the Canadarm3 that will be fully operated by Canada on the Gateway. But her enthusiasm for space and lunar exploration doesn’t stop at robots.

“Putting the first Canadian astronaut on the Moon while advancing the capabilities of the Gateway is a huge aspiration,” she said.

Kunas said she is highly motivated, lives an active lifestyle and enjoys learning new things. She enjoys travelling, seeing new places and learning about new cultures.

Her life outside of work is also driven by her two children, Dennis and Isabel, who are pursuing their own careers in the business management and medical fields.

“I was too young to see the first Moon landing, so I am looking forward to watching the next one with my kids,” she said. “It’s very exciting to be contributing to the pathway to the future.”

To learn more about Gateway, visit https://www.nasa.gov/gateway.

Image Credit: Banu Kunas

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