Europe’s satellite plan has Ottawa concerned

Space agency’s launch may put toxic fuel in Arctic waters

Ottawa has told the European Space Agency it’s unhappy about plans to launch a satellite that would drop a rocket stage likely to contain highly toxic fuel in some of the most ecologically productive waters of the Canadian Arctic.

“Canada is in the process of engaging the European Space Agency to express concerns regarding potential environmental effects of launches on the sensitive Arctic ecosystem,” Brianne Maxwell, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, said Thursday.

The comment came after the government of Nunavut added its voice to protests over the launch.

“The prime minister has been in contact with the premier’s office on this issue,” Maxwell said.

Territorial officials raised concerns with the Prime Minister’s Office this week after Premier Peter Taptuna complained about the launch, which is scheduled for Friday.

“We are calling on Canada and Denmark to take swift action at the international level to dissuade these activities and move forward with protecting this area locally and internationally,” Taptuna said on Oct. 6, the day after Russia notified Canada of its intentions.

The European Space Agency — of which Canada is an affiliate member — plans to launch the Sentinel 5P satellite, an environmental probe designed to monitor trace gases in the atmosphere. A second launch of a similar satellite is planned for 2018.

Both are to be launched from Russia using Soviet-era rockets fuelled by hydrazine. Hydrazine is so toxic that almost every space program in the world, including Russia’s, has moved away from it.

The second stage of the rocket, containing up to a tonne of unburned hydrazine, is expected to splash down in water between Greenland and Baffin Island.

That area falls within Canada’s exclusive economic zone and is in the jurisdiction of the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act. Inuit communities in Canada and Greenland routinely hunt animals that depend on the North Water Polynya.

Global Affairs Canada has previously said that Canada “continues to express concerns to Russia” over potential environmental impacts.

The Europeans maintain all the toxic fuel burns up on re-entry.

Academic research points out there has been no study of what happens to fuel released over marine ecosystems. As well, previous studies in Russian launch zones suggest some fuel does reach the water’s surface.

Nunavut acknowledges the risk is low, but argues it shouldn’t be there at all.