February 2010 Archives

This week in space for Canada is all about an American, Michael Swartwout, an Assistant Professor of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering at Parks College, St. Louis University who recently wrote a fascinating article on "The promise of innovation from university space systems: Are we meeting it?" for the October 12th, 2009 issue of the Space Review where he talks about university faculties launching space satellites. At least one of those faculties is Canadian.

The Ottawa Citizen article "Rocket Science" which appeared in yesterday's paper was over simplified and got even some of the basic facts wrong.

I do however agree with the message of the article that the Government, and in particular Minister of Industry Tony Clement, needs to be proactive and release a new Long Term Space Plan for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

Back in September 2008, when Steve MacLean became head of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), industry and science experts expected a long-term space strategy document would be developed and released almost immediately in order to provide a long delayed "way forward" and focus Canadian activities.

Unfortunately, no report has ever been released (although one is still promised). Instead we have private citizens, individual organizations and Canadian corporations each acting independently and without the CSA to build their own unique international relationships and space focused opportunities. It's gone so far that our future in space may no longer be tied to our national space agency, as of this week in space for Canada.

Last week in space for Canada was all about watching the Americans figure out what they're going to do with their broken, bleeding and bankrupt national space program.

US President Obama has spoken and now we know his intentions so this week in space for Canada is all about beginning the inventory of Canadian firms and organizations that could benefit from this change of focus away from a formal "space program" and towards a series of scientific programs and business incentives designed to build a "space industry."