Canada hasn’t had a National Space Policy since 1974. Currently the government is looking to announce a new Space Strategy this fall. Recently, the Space Advisory Board released its report after concluding consultations with stakeholders. On today’s show we’ll get insights on space policy from Graham Gibbs.

In late July, the news publication the Waterloo Region Record ran a story about layoffs by Honeywell at its Cambridge, Ontario facility. The number of people laid off was not disclosed at the time. However, local radio station News 570 reported on September 1 that 140 people had started to receive notice in late July.  Scott Sayres, Honeywell Director of Communications told SpaceQ that the …

The Canadian Space Agency today released a request for proposals (RFP) to study the socioeconomic impacts of space weather on Canada’s infrastructure.

While the International Space Station will still be used until at least 2024 what comes next? That discussion has been ongoing within the space community for some time. The use of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for business and research is only going to increase. National space agencies though are looking beyond LEO for the next challenge including cislunar exploration.

The Unity spacesuit was unveiled on the International Space Station (ISS) yesterday and is part of the Spacesuit Art Project. The project according to the Canadian Space Agency is “an initiative to help raise awareness about the issues surrounding childhood cancer and the power of the arts in the clinical healing process.”

On Canada’s 150th Birthday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced Canada’s two newest astronaut recruits. It was a life changing day for them. For Lieutenant-Colonel Joshua Kutryk, it’s a day he won’t soon forget.

Continuing with our Summer Reading Series of articles or interviews that still have some relevance today, we present the June 2012 article I wrote, In the Absence of Government Leadership Canada’s Space Sector Faces Uncertain Future from Space Quarterly Magazine. 

Today the government released the findings of the recently completed Space Advisory Board consultations on Canada’s upcoming new Space Strategy.  The Space Advisory Board report put forward two recommendations  based on six key themes.

“We’re on a cliff.” That’s how Don Osborne, President of MDA’s Information Systems in Canada, described the current status in Canada without a new space strategy in place. But before you get too alarmed, Osborne did say he’s optimistic that the government is listening, which suggests that a new meaningful space strategy is forthcoming.

In this podcast episode I welcome back Wayne Ellis, a space and defence consultant with AppSpace Solutions of Winnipeg, and a past president of the Canadian Space Society.