Sanctions on Russia put launch on ice

The launch of a Canadian surveillance satellite has fallen two years behind schedule because the federal government won’t allow it to be put into orbit by a Russian rocket.

By the time the Canadian defence satellite is in place next year, its technology could be out of date, a space analyst warns.

The Conservative government scuttled the June 2014 launch of the spacecraft known as M3MSat because of Russia’s support of separatists in Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea.

The satellite, designed to track ships, is now scheduled to be put into orbit in 2016 on board an Indian rocket.

Other nations and organizations haven’t shied away from using the Russian launchers. Last year, a Norwegian Defence Department satellite, similar to the grounded Canadian M3MSat, was launched by a Russian rocket. Two satellites built by the space flight lab at the University of Toronto were also launched by Russia.

The Department of National Defence’s science agency is supporting M3MSat, with help from the Canadian Space Agency. The spacecraft, built by the Canadian firm Com Dev, is outfitted with sophisticated technology to allow it to track digital signals transmitted by ships.

Myriam Bower, a spokesperson for Defence Research and Development Canada, said the department’s capabilities aren’t affected by the launch delay as similar data is being received from other satellites.

But Chuck Black, a Torontobased space analyst, said such tracking technology is always improving. “The (M3M) satellite is supposed to be a technology demonstrator but a lot has happened in the industry since it was grounded.”

Black said it still makes sense to test the spacecraft’s capabilities. “But I don’t think it’s state-of-the-art any more,” he said.

The decision to cancel the 2014 launch sent officials from the space agency and Com Dev scrambling to find another country or private firm willing to send the satellite into space.

In October 2014, Com Dev announced the satellite would be launched in 2015 by Antrix, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organization. That launch has been delayed.

“Antrix has confirmed that the launch is scheduled for 2016,” CSA spokeswoman Camille Delacour said in an email. No further details were provided by the agency.

Angry at Russia’s actions over Ukraine, the Conservatives have announced a number of sanctions against the Russians. They have also committed Canadian troops to help train Ukraine’s army, and provided $400 million in financial aid to Ukraine’s near-bankrupt government. In addition, Canada has provided military and other equipment.

Some former Canadian diplomats have suggested the government’s actions on Ukraine are aimed at winning votes from the significant Ukrainian-Canadian population in the coming federal election.

In September, the Canadian government refused to issue visas that would have allowed Russian delegates to attend an international space conference in Toronto. Chinese delegates were also refused visas to attend the symposium to discuss international co-operation in space.

The Russians complained at the time that the decision, which prevented one of the country’s most famous cosmonauts from attending the conference, was politically motivated. Russia has argued that politics should be kept out international efforts in space. It has indicated it is more than willing to launch the Canadian satellites despite frosty relations, say Canadian military and industry sources.

The Canadian government’s stance against Russian launches limits its options since only a small number of nations and private firms are capable of putting spacecraft into orbit.