SpaceQ Space news and analysis.

In an article posted on Spaceflight Now Gilles Leclerc, Director General of Space Technologies at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) confirms that the International Space Station (ISS) partners have contacted Russia about purchasing an additional Soyuz spacecraft, potentially one new flight per year between 2013 and 2016. Currently an additional seat on a Soyuz costs $56 million based on the last contract signed by the …

A group of researchers from academia, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and NASA are currently at Pavilion Lake in British Columbia exploring and studying the origin of rare freshwater carbonate rock formations found there. This research not only helps us better understand our knowledge of the earth it prepares for future exploration of the moon and Mars.

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced today that it has awarded two contracts to MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) and one to the University of Calgary for concepts studies for Canada’s participation in NASA’s New Frontiers program. Each of the contracts is valued at $500,000.

In a surprise move the White House yesterday released a National Space Policy giving reporters scant notice and leaving many to wonder how serious the Obama administration is with respect to U.S. space activities. The policy which focuses on stronger international cooperation comes at a time when the White House is an a protracted battle with congress over the future of NASA’s Constellation space exploration …

Where: University of Western Ontario – Center for Planetary Science and Exploration Dates: September 7th-15th, 2010 Web site: http://planetsci.uwo.ca/Graduate/ShortCourse2010.html Course Description (PLANETSC 9602) This is an intensive 7-day modular course on planetary science. The focus of the course will be on the fundamental processes that have shaped the terrestrial planets and their moons, and asteroids. Particular emphasis will be placed on investigations of the Moon, …

Engineering job fairs proliferate all along the Florida “space” coast as the US shuttle program winds down, while in Canada alternative space propulsion gains momentum and I personally have to “apologize profusely” as the Canadian Space Agency becomes a paying customer to launch the upcoming “CASade, Smallsat and IOnospheric Polar Explorer” (CASSIOPE) satellite on a Falcon-9 rocket. All that and more, this week in space …

The worldwide commercial space market heats up as Iridium Satellite Communications caps a two billion dollar turnaround with a $492 million USD launch contract to Elon Musk and his Space-X cowboys. Meanwhile, back in Canada our federal government finally ponies up another $26.4 million CDN to MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) to continue work on phase “C” of the RADARSAT Constellation mission and COMDEV International …

Elon Musk has his fully functioning Falcon 9 rocket. South Korea has their Space Launch Vehicle-1 (NARO-1) on the pad at the Naro Space Center, the Indians are busy perfecting their cryogenic liquid fueled rocket and even the English are beginning to wonder why the Virgin Galactic VSS Enterprise is scheduled to take off and land “only in America, you say” as Canadian space focused …

From May 10 to 23, 2010 astronaut Chris Hadfield was the commander of the NEEMO 14 mission. NEEMO is NASA’s Extreme Environment Mission Operations project. In this interview Hadfield discusses the mission aboard the Aquarius habitat, his responsibilites as commander, the challenges of living in an extreme environment, offers insights on how this mission provides valuable insight on space exploration, and descibes his own career …