Opinion

In an opinion published in the Hill Times today, MDA CEO Mike Greenley is out to remind the government and the political class that space is not only an engine for Canada’s economy now, but also for its recovery during this pandemic and the future.

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.

Fans of the late Stuart MacLean will recognize the title as an inside joke about the Vinyl Café. But the title also speaks to another insider group. The policy wonks amongst you will also immediately recognize this topic of conversation. Some of you may be able to anticipate much of the discussion that follows. Those of you fortunate to live outside the federal government industrial …

Anyone who has been working in or following the space business over the last decade is familiar with the dichotomy that has grown up between “new” or entrepreneurial space ventures and traditional space programs. Often these sectors seem to be a model of the classic two solitudes, existing side by side but embodying two different world views and without a lot of (constructive) interaction. But …

Barely a month has passed since my first column on SpaceQ and already my best laid plans to use this column to push for a place for space in governmental budgets has come undone. This page is for subscribers only. Already a subscriber? Log in. Fact-driven space news, columns, business, policy, technology and more. Support independent journalism. SUBSCRIBE TODAY

This past weekend Canadian federal parties worked out an agreement for in-person and virtual meetings of the House of Commons.

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.

As some of you may know I recently started a podcast called Terranauts. I like to say that the purpose of the podcast is tell stories about people who work in space without ever leaving the ground. Hence the name.

It was recently confirmed that Canada’s first space-based satellite, MOST (for Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars), had stopped functioning. Dubbed the “humble” satellite because of its meager budget of $10M but similar mission to the Hubble telescope, MOST’s success was one of Canadian ingenuity.

India used its advanced anti-ballistic missile defence capability to conduct a kinetic anti-satellite test (“Mission Shakti”) against one of its own satellites on March 27.