Canada’s Arctic space program seeks help
Tight budgets limit sovereignty enforcement
Tight budgets are forcing Canada to look for international partners for two of its key space programs that contribute to enforcing the country’s sovereignty in the Arctic.
The Canadian Space Agency is looking for international partners to help finance a proposed polar communications and weather satellite system. That would consist of two satellites and is considered essential for government departments and the Canadian Forces if they want to operate in the North.
At the same time, the military is looking at other nations that might want to finance or contribute spacecraft to the next generation of Radarsat satellites.
That project, known as the Radarsat Constellation Mission or RCM, was approved in early January when the government announced it had reached a $700-million deal with MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates to build the three satellites. Those spacecraft would keep watch over the Arctic and Canada’s coastlines.
At a space conference in London in January, Defence Department officials confirmed other nations could contribute to RCM to improve the system’s performance.
The moves come as the core budget of Canada’s space agency is being cut 13 per cent by 2015 and the Defence Department is facing cuts of several billion dollars.
The Canadian Space Agency originally stated it was dealing with a funding cut of about $29 million. But CSA president Steve MacLean, who has since left his position, said at an Ottawa aerospace conference in December the cuts to the agency’s budget would be higher.
Those cuts would be accomplished by 2014-15.
Other nations that want to operate in the Arctic would need the proposed polar communications and weather satellites, and Canada’s unique technology in its Radarsat system.
Current weather and communications satellites do not provide adequate coverage in the Far North because of their orbits.
The Radarsat Constellation Mission would be able to monitor the movement of ships throughout the Arctic and is capable of conducting around-the-clock surveillance.
A number of nations, including the U.S., have questioned Canada’s claims of sovereignty over some of its northern territories.
Canadian Space Agency official Guennadi Kroupnik has noted that the CSA is in discussions “with international and domestic partners” on the polar communications and weather satellite, but he wouldn’t get into specifics.
At the January space conference, Canadian Forces Col. Andre Dupuis acknowledged that a number of nations had indicated an interest in joining RCM.
The Defence Department would like to see three more satellites added to that system, according to sources.
MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates’ president Dan Friedmann has noted that the best course of action for an expanded Radarsat Constellation Mission would be for Canada to continue to control the technology.
“What I would hope is that Canada would step up and say to the Americans, ‘We will provide you with this data,’ ” Friedmann said.
“That’s the way to keep Canada in the lead. That’s the way to build our economy and our capability.”