OTTAWA - The head of the U.S. space agency says Canada's knack for artificial intelligence will be useful for exploring the moon, if we want in.

Jim Bridenstine, the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, says Canada has developed crucial artificial intelligence-based robotics technology that could help operate the next-generation outpost the United States is planning to send into lunar orbit.

He started a two-day trip to Ottawa today by taking part in a demonstration at Carleton University by Mission Control, a Canadian company working on robotic technology that can be used to test soil samples.

Bridenstine says he wants Canada's decades-long space partnership with the U.S. to continue as it embarks on the creation of its new “Lunar Gateway.”

Bridenstine is to give a keynote address on Wednesday at the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada, where speculation is running high that Canada's participation in the Lunar Gateway - NASA's next-generation space project - is expected to be announced.

In September, the Canadian Space Agency issued tenders for projects designed to position Canada to contribute to future space missions involving human and robotic exploration.