Policy

As the Canadian government considers what do to about the future of Canada’s space program we thought it might be worth looking back a few years to the same question that was posed in the U.S.  This interview by Eva-Jane Lark with Neil deGrasse Tyson discusses how space and the economy are interrelated. The  interview first appeared in Space Quarterly Magazine in September 2012.

Planet took the opportunity while presenting at the Canadian SmallSat Symposium to deliver a very public ultimatum to Global Affairs Canada. Either there is measurable progress on licensing of their ground stations in Inuvik by June 1, or they will dismantle them and leave Canada. And they weren’t the only company to threaten this action.

This week on the SpaceQ podcast we did something a little different. Instead of interviewing a guest we decided to playback a speech we recorded from the recent Canadian Space Summit by Canadian Space Agency president Sylvain Laporte.

If it is said that innovation of defence excellence is the Canadian Department of National Defence’s research and development goal, then it could be noted that Canadian space industry “start-ups” may possibly provide an answer to the space capability requirements that have been listed in the Department’s recent defence policy document.

The Canadian space sector needs to stop the “cross talk” and unite its message after the government releases a Canadian space strategy, said Iain Christie, executive vice-president of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada. The importance of space will be lost if everyone presents different messages and priorities to the public, he added.

The Evening of Celebration and Inspiration, Celebrating 150 Years of Canadian Science Achievement, lived up to its title at the ninth annual Canadian Science Policy Conference in Ottawa. The lineup of fantastic featured speakers, as well as the presence of sensational scientists and policy makers made for a truly inspiring evening.

A year ago the Canadian Space Commerce Association hosted the first Canadian Space Policy Symposium. This year, post Space Advisory Board consultations, the space community will gather in Ottawa November 9th  to discuss further steps need in building Canada’s future in space.

It should not come as a surprise that space debris tops the list of issues in the 2017 edition of the Space Security Index.

The space industry is, quite literally, taking off. Commercial, for-profit actors mark the dawn of a new age of space – one pioneered not by governments, but by private sector trailblazers pushing the development of human space activity to new heights.

I have been prompted to write this Paper with the publication in August of the excellent Space Advisory Board’s (SAB) report titled Consultations on Canada’s Future in Space: What We Heard. This Paper is also the result of analyzing national space policies for many years.