Marc Boucher

Boucher is an entrepreneur, writer, editor & publisher. He is the founder of SpaceQ Media Inc. and CEO and co-founder of SpaceRef Interactive LLC. Boucher has 20+ years working in various roles in the space industry and a total of 30 years as a technology entrepreneur including creating Maple Square, Canada's first internet directory and search engine.

DND releases Surveillance of Space 2 GBO RFI summary

Alliance Rationales & Roadblocks: A U.S. - Canada Space Study

The Department of National Defence has released a summary of feedback and outcomes update as part of the industry engagement process for the Surveillance of Space 2 Ground Based Optical (GBO) Segment request for information and letter of interest. The solicitation for the Surveillance of Space 2 GBO RFI closes on September 3, 2020. This page is for subscribers only. Already a subscriber? Log in. …

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Good and bad news in 2nd spaceport launch vehicle rankings

Yuzhnoye RD-861K Engine test on June 26, 2020 for the Cyclone 4M

In this, the second edition of the Canadian Spaceport Launch Vehicle Power Rankings, we've got good and bad news to share including updates from C6 Launch, Yuzhnoye, Astra Space, a Canada - US Technology Safeguards Agreement and more. The preamble Canada does not have a spaceport. So why bother creating a Canadian Spaceport Launch Vehicle Power Rankings? You can read our full reasoning behind the …

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Ottawa’s Obruta awarded space debris study contract by the Canadian Space Agency

NASA image showing Earth with near-Earth orbital debris. The debris field is real data from the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office

Obruta Space Solutions was less than a year old when it was notified by the Canadian Space Agency that it had been awarded a contribution through the Space Technology Development Program for a Novel Multi-Target Space Debris Removal Technology Feasibility Study. The company had also been accepted into the Creative Destruction Lab last summer just three months removed from its founding. As I learned by …

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C6 Launch Services STARS is an innovative radio transceiver and phased array antenna

C6 Launch Services

If you want to win contracts to launch small satellite payloads you have to be competitive on price. This means doing everything you can to lower the mass of your launch vehicle while retaining the performance needed to get your payload(s) to the desired orbit. C6 Launch Services has identified a cost saving measure by innovating the design of a radio transceiver along with creating …

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Psst the Mars Perseverance Rover will search for life!

Mars Perseverance Rover

You could say that all the past rovers that NASA sent to Mars have been leading up the Mars Perseverance rover mission. The rover may look similar to the Curiosity rover currently exploring Mars, but there are differences. And it’s those differences that have scientists really excited that they might now be able to find signs of ancient life on the Red planet.

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Canada, ESA and other partners offer online remote sensing courses

First engineering image captured by an RCM satellite with Google Map for reference

Several Canadian organizations including the Canadian Space Agency, Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and Environment Canada have been working with their European colleagues to develop online remote sensing courses. At the Canadian Symposium on Remote Sensing, Dirk Werle of the Canadian Space Agency presented an update on the groups efforts. This page is for subscribers only. Already a subscriber? Log in. Fact-driven space …

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Global Affairs Canada remote sensing act circular forthcoming

Northern Land Cover of Canada – Circa 2000

At the Canadian Symposium on Remote Sensing, Global Affairs Canada provided an update on their review and analysis of the two independent reviews (2012, 2017) of the Remote Sensing Space Systems Act. As some of you may recall SpaceQ had an exclusive story on the second review which was published in April 2017. This page is for subscribers only. Already a subscriber? Log in. Fact-driven …

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The Surprise of Comet NEOWISE

Comet NEOWISE

Comet NEOWISE took astronomers somewhat by surprise. You see, comets can be very finicky with respect to how bright they get. And because the comet became bright enough for the public to see, well, it’s a rare treat. 

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The Canadian Space Agency publishes Space-Based Earth Observation engagement paper

Space-based Earth Observation

The first panel discussion at the Canadian Symposium on Remote Sensing yesterday was on Space-Based Earth Observation. It was chaired by Eric Loubier, the new Director General of the Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation at Natural Resources Canada. Leading up to the discussion an engagement paper was released by the Canadian Space Agency, though if you didn't know where to find it, you …

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