SpaceQ Space news and analysis.
NASA chief Charles Bolden testified today before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies. Bolden was extremely supportive of the Presidents new plan for NASA saying “…the President put forward what I believe to be the most authentically visionary policy for real human space exploration that we have ever had.”
Read More »Imagine Seeing the First Stars – A Video Trailer
A new NASA teaser video was released yesterday for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). And it’s all about imagining what discoveries this next generation telescope and successor to the Hubble Space Telescope will find. Canada is a major contributor providing the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) and Tuneable Filter Imager (TFI). The JWST is schedule to be launched in 2014.
Read More »Research Potential on the International Space Station
In today’s Ottawa Citizen article “What does $100 billion buy?” they ask fair questions in “… how valuable this research in space has been, and does having a space station really add prestige, or industrial competence, or an innovative edge to a country?” with respect to how Canada benefits and humanity as a whole. “The space station must impress us on a new level: Treating …
Read More »Optical Illusions – Student Science on the International Space Station
Does visual perception change in the weightless environment? The graduate students of the International Space University believe it does, so they have created the IRIS (Image Reversal in Space) experiment for Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk to take part in.
Read More »Bodies in the Space Environment – Science on the International Space Station
Canadian Astronaut Bob Thirsk is a test-subject for the ground-breaking Canadian experiment BISE (Bodies in the Space Environment), which examines how humans distinguish up from down in weightlessness.
Read More »MDA Gets Next Contract in RADARSAT Constellation Mission
MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) announced yesterday that the Canadian Space Agency has authorized MDA to start the design phase (C) of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission. The value of this contract is limited to $11.8 million and is expected to be completed by June 11, 2010. The announcement comes two weeks after the federal government unveiled it’s budget which included funding for the RADARSAT …
Read More »ASTRO 2010 Conference
ASTRO 2010 is the 15thin the series of CASI Astronautics conferences that take place every two years. The theme selected for ASTRO’10 will bring together the Canadian space community to explore how we can work together to address pressing issues impacting our quality of life in three areas of great concern – safety and security, the environment, and the economy. May 4 – 6, Westin …
Read More »Canadian Space Policy Idles or Does It?
Readers familiar with our ongoing Canadian Space Agency Watch series know that space policy is an issue we tend to focus on. In particular the long anticipated but elusive Long-Term Space Plan (LTSP) the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has been working in since the fall of 2008. So it came as a bit of a surprise when we found out that not only had the …
Read More »Space Agency Heads Discuss Extending Space Station Lifespan to 2028
Today in Tokyo the leaders of the space agencies from Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia and the United States met to discuss the future of the International Space Station (ISS). The space station is nearing completion and the group noted there are no technical constraints to continue operations beyond 2015 to 2020 and possibly 2028. Extending the lifespan of the station to 2028 is a matter …
Read More »Commercial Space – A Growing Industry in Canada
In the budget released by the government last week was $397 million of new funding for the RADARSAT Constellation Mission. In addition, the Canadian Space Agency had already allocated $100 million for the Constellation. The green light to this project is an important step in maintaining highly skilled jobs and keeping Canada a leader in the Earth Observation field which will benefit the growing Canadian …
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