In 2017 the second independent review of the Remote Sensing Space Systems Act (RSSA) was published. The report outlined its findings and recommendations providing a path forward to modernizing the RSSSA. Now, almost four years later, SpaceQ has learned that the first two space regulatory reform guides are set to be published, likely this month.
Last fall in a CASI ASTRO 2020 webinar, representatives from Transport Canada, Global Affairs Canada (GAC), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), and the Canadian Space Agency participated in a discussion on regulatory modernization. From that update we learned that Canada has made the policy decision to become a launching state and equally as importantly, that two Client Procedural Circular (CPC) guides were forthcoming related to the RSSSA.
Of note, the discussion was moderated by Aram Daniel Kerkonian, the co-author of the 2017 RSSSA independent review who joined ISED as a policy advisor in August of 2020. During the event, Kerkonian made it known that he had been asked to moderate the discussion before he joined government.
To support the governments effort in the regulatory reform process an Ad-Hoc Remote Sensing Space Systems Act Advisory Committee was created.
That committee members include:
- Kuan-Wei (David) Chen, McGill and co-chair
- Michel Doyon, Government of Canada – GAC, IGN Deputy Director and co-chair (Doyon moved from GAC last fall back to the Canadian Space Agency)
- Chad English, Government of Canada – NRC
- Joanne Gabrynowicz, University of Mississippi
- Meghan Gagnon, Government of Canada – NRCan
- Wade Larson, Urthecast
- Mina Mitry, Kepler Communications
- LCol. Catherine Marchetti, Government of Canada – DND
- Michelle Mendes, SatCan
- Gord Rigby, MDA Corporation
- Shari Scott, Government of Canada – ISED
- Tom Zubko, New North Networks
- Isaac Holliss, Government of New-Zealand – Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
- Sébastien Carrière, Government of Canada – GAC, IGN Director
- Wolfgang Schneider, Government of Germany – DLR (German space agency)
To date SpaceQ is aware of seven meetings of the Ad-Hoc Remote Sensing Space Systems Act Advisory Committee dating back to November 2019 and with the last being held in September 2020. Those meetings played an important role in the forthcoming two CPC guides. And now, the minutes of those meetings, which provide a guide to the committee discussions, are now available online.
Another regulatory issue the government is looking at, and which should see some progress this year, is a Technology Safeguards Agreement with the US.