In 2019 the Canadian space community was energized by the Government of Canada’s successful launch of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission; three satellites designed that among other things are able to help Canadians study dramatically changing climate – and such events as the breakup of massive ice sheets that have been present for thousands of years.

On the eve of 2020, followers of the Canadian space industry were greeted with exciting news. Northern Private Capital, a Toronto-based investment consortium, had reclaimed a national asset by buying MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) for an eye-popping $1 billion.