Chuck Black: March 2011 Archives

As MacDonald Dettwiler (MDA) commences the downsizing of the Brampton based robotics group responsible for the iconic Canadarms, a small group of Canadian Space Agency (CSA) subcontractors and space focused businesses contemplate the "Next Breakthrough Space Technology for Canada." Meanwhile, Com Dev International subsidiary exactEarth Ltd., wins a contract with the Canadian government and the cost for the James Webb Space Telescope just keeps growing and growing. All that and more, this week in space for Canada.

SpaceRef has obtained a report by four of Canada's ten largest space companies in which they are critical of the federal governments implementation of research and development (R&D) funding as outlined in the governments Science and Technology strategy "Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage." One of the reasons cited is that "the pendulum has swung too far away from direct funding for companies at the later stages of R&D toward more funding for universities to perform basic "public good" R&D in collaboration with the private sector."

He didn't once mention the term "geomatics," but that is certainly what Canadian Space Agency (CSA) President Steve MacLean was referencing when he said that data obtained about the Earth from space "now has the precision to contribute meaningfully to Earth based activities" such as resource tracking, mining, farming and industry. MacLean made the comment during his keynote address at the University of Toronto Space Program on March 1st.