Fly me to the moon, let me play amongst the stars.

Actually, on second thought let's go to Mars.

That's the direction five Canadian universities will be taking, starting next spring. Western, McGill, McMaster, the University of Toronto and the University of Winnipeg will all be starting Canada's first astrobiology training program.

"The goal is to create a place for Canada in space," said Dr. Neil Banerjee, co-investigator of the Canadian Astrobiology Training Program (CATP)and associate professor of earth science at the University of Western Ontario.

"We are training the next generation of Canadian explorers," he said.

CATP will be the first program to shift the focus of astrobiology to Mars from its existing focus on the moon. It will be the first multi-institutional, cross-disciplinary program for university students in Canada. Succesful candidates will have the opportunity to work alongside experts at NASA and the Canadian Space Agency, while working in cutting edge facilities that pave the way for space exploration.

McGill will be the first to accept applicants for the program, hoping to fill 70 positions over the next six years.

What will the program mean for the University of Western Ontario? Why these five select schools? Was there some sort of cost involved to be apart of this elite group paving the way for Canada's Space Industry? at which point, whose footing that bill?

The program seems like a great initiative overall. I was shocked to see that the University of Waterloo and the University of British Columbia were not included in the program. With revered courses surrounding math and science at both schools, how could the group take the University of Winnipeg over these internationally recognized schools?

Only time will tell what these schools uncover. Let's hope Mars is everything "Total Recall" depicted.