Technology

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) this morning issued its latest request for proposal (RFP), this time for Development of Enabling Space Technologies. This latest RFP is is part of the Space Technology Development Program geared towards developing priority technologies.

As expected the Canadian Space Agency has begun to release the first in series of Request for Proposals (RFP) related to future post-ISS human spaceflight, space exploration and space astronomy with the release of its Lunar Surface Mobility Concept RFP.

Maritime Launch Services (MLS) will announce today that it has selected a site in the Guysborough Municipality near Canso and Hazel Hill, Nova Scotia over 13 other prospective locations for its new commercial launch complex, or spaceport, and expects to break ground on construction within a year.

The Liberal Budget 2017 will be presented to Canadians on March 22. For the space community it’s expected that there will be no major projects announced. This comes as no surprise as a new Space Strategy won’t be released until June, and a new Space Advisory Board has yet to be announced. Any new major funding would come in next years budget.

The Canadian Space Agency is again looking for input from the space community for the Space Technology Development Program (STDP), this time with an emphasis on Industrial Capability. It was just two weeks ago that they were soliciting input for 17 priority technologies.

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has issued a Letter of Interest (LOI) soliciting ideas from the space community for the Space Technology Development Program (STDP) before a potential Request for Proposals (RFP) is issued. This is a refreshing departure from recent STDP solicitations.

Kepler Communications announced today it has selected Innovative Space Logistics B.V. (ISL), part of the Innovative Solutions in Space (ISIS) group of the Netherlands, as their launch contractor, and that their first satellite will launch on an Indian  Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket this November.

MDA’s U.S. subsidiary, Space Systems Loral (SSL), today entered into an agreement with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop satellite servicing of spacecraft in geostationary orbit (GEO) for the Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) program.

It seems every couple of years another group comes along claiming they’ll setup a spaceport in Canada with Nova Scotia being the preferred location. The latest is Maritime Launch Services (MLS), a newly registered company in Nova Scotia with roots in the U.S and the Ukraine. What sets it apart from recent previous efforts is the experienced principals involved.

In December we wrote a story about MDA’s subsidiary Space Systems Loral (SSL) in the U.S. winning a long sought after satellite servicing contract with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Yesterday, the NASA Future In-Space Operations weekly telecon provided an update on the evolution of NASA Goddard’s satellite servicing efforts including the Restore-L Mission which will see SSL build the spacecraft bus.