Policy

Canadian space luminaries urge the government to take more action on space exploration, strategy

Canada in Space

It's been almost two years to the day since the government of Canada released its Space Strategy, one which was meant to offer an incremental way forward in lieu of a long term space plan. For some in the space community, including a few members of the sidelined Space Advisory Board, the government isn't moving with the urgency they say is required. This page is …

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Canada’s students, young workforce offered generational opportunity to help guide its future space exploration activities

Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is currently consulting with the public on its future space exploration activities. For those ‘in the business’, this is yet another consultation process, one of many they’ve experienced. For students and the younger workforce, this could be a generational opportunity to effect policy, and they shouldn’t miss the opportunity.

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Canadian Space Agency president Lisa Campbell appearance before House of Commons industry committee gets political

Lisa Campbell at INDU committee meeting Oct. 29, 2020

New Canadian Space Agency president Lisa Campbell appeared before the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (INDU) in late October as a formality upon being appointed to her position. The INDU meeting, now virtual, is generally a friendly event for these types of Order in Council appointment confirmations. But the Q&A is sometimes an opportunity for politics to get partisan, which was the case …

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Global Affairs Canada releases RSSSA regulatory guide

This is a Mosaic of Canada which is made from 121 images captured by Canadian satellite RADARSAT-2.

As we previously mentioned, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) has been working on two guides related to the Remote Sensing Space Systems Act (RSSSA). The effort has been part of a larger process to enact regulatory reform to deal with the current reality of a fast growing space sector. The first of those guides has now been published. This page is for subscribers only. Already a …

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Senior cabinet shuffle sees three ministers with key space responsibilities moved

The Honourable Navdeep Bains stands in front of the Canadarm2 Latching End Effector spare that will launch to the ISS in 2018.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Minister Navdeep Bains has left the Liberal cabinet of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The resignation required a shuffle of senior ministers and sees Marc Garneau moving from Transport to Foreign Affairs, François-Philippe Champagne moving from Foreign Affairs to ISED and Omar Alghabra, new to cabinet, takes over Transport. It's billed as a small cabinet shuffle of senior Liberal ministers. …

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Canadian Armed Forces – Space is a team sport

File photo: Artist rendering of the Department of National Defence Sapphire satellite used for Space-Based Surveillance

The last decade has witnessed a steady and progressive realization that space is no longer a sanctuary, but it was during this time that space capability has become a foundation for our very way of life. In the past, governments had freedom of action in space, the safety and security challenges were relatively benign, and the number of actors limited. Today none of these assertions …

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First Canadian space regulatory reform guides coming shortly

This is a Mosaic of Canada which is made from 121 images captured by Canadian satellite RADARSAT-2.

In 2017 the second independent review of the Remote Sensing Space Systems Act (RSSA) was published. The report outlined its findings and recommendations providing a path forward to modernizing the RSSSA. Now, almost four years later, SpaceQ has learned that the first two space regulatory reform guides are set to be published, likely this month. This page is for subscribers only. Already a subscriber? Log …

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A Canadian astronaut will be on the first NASA Artemis mission to the Moon

Earth rise as seen from Apollo 8 as it rounded the Moon

When we heard that the Government of Canada with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) was going to make a “major announcement” on space exploration today, we immediately thought of NASA’s Artemis program and that it related to Canadian astronauts going to the Moon. What we didn’t suspect is that through a new agreement with NASA, that Canada would be sending an astronaut on the first …

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White House unveils new National Space Policy

Scott Pace, Executive Secretary of the National Space Council, reads a portion of the new National Space Policy

At the 8th and final National Space Council meeting of the Trump Administration, Vice-President Mike Pence used the occasion to unveil a new National Space Policy and provided Council members who are likely leaving an opportunity to make unscripted remarks. Outgoing NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine also unveiled the first 18 astronauts selected to go back to the Moon. There is a lot to unpack from …

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