Results tagged “RADARSAT Constellation Mission”

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By Eric Choi: On January 9, 2013, the Federal Government announced it will proceed with the implementation phase of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM). Initially conceived almost a decade ago, the long-awaited announcement meant that the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and its partners in government and industry can finally complete one of the most important Canadian space projects of this decade.

In a move that has blindsided the government, MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) is considering not subcontracting a significant piece of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) to Magellan Aerospace as was expected.

Late today the Canadian Space Agency announced it will hold a press event at MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) office in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue on the West island of Montreal tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. ET. It is expected the government will announce the funding and contract for the delayed RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM).

On the day that Chris Hadfield soared into space for his five month mission to the International Space Station comes this National Post story; "Stephen Harper steps in to save Radarsat upgrade after budget cutbacks threatened satellite program's future." I almost chocked on my laughter at such an ironic headline. After all, wasn't it Harper and the government that almost scrapped the program?

Late last Friday MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) announced it had formally closed the deal to acquire Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) after it had received regulatory approval and secured the necessary financing. MDA announced in their quarterly call yesterday that on the same day of the closing it had been contacted by the Canadian government with a request for proposal for the build phase, Phase D, for the oft-delayed RADARSAT Constellation Mission.

This past week Canadian Space Agency President Steve MacLean signalled that the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) will proceed to the next phase, the build phase, and that contracts are forthcoming.

Yesterday the Ottawa Citizen reported that the Department of National Defence has plans for a $1 billion Arctic Surveillance Satellite Network follow-on program to the yet to be built RADARSAT Constellation Mission.

The following article is a free sample from the current issue of Space Quarterly Magazine. It is our hope that if you enjoy this article you will consider subscribing to the magazine.

Recently Canadian Space Agency President Steve MacLean delivered the keynote speech for the 2012 Canadian Hydrographic Conference in Niagara Falls. The theme touched on the challenges for Canada in dealing with a warmer Arctic where the Northwest Passage could be clear of ice during summer within 25 years.

The future of Canada's current big space project, the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) and the Canadian Space Agency budget cut were the subject of questions in yesterday's House of Commons Question Period. The questions were brought forward by Liberal MP Marc Garneau. Garneau is a former astronaut and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) President and knows a thing or two about space.

According to an Ottawa Citizen article published yesterday the projected costs of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) have jumped from $600 million to over $1 billion . The report with the current costs was obtained by the Citizen under the Access to Information law.

SpaceRef had the opportunity for a brief conversation with Chummer Farina at the 28th National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. Mr. Farina is vice-president of policy, external and government relations, communications and public affairs at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Our discussion revolved around the current status of the Canadian Space Agency and some of the milestones being celebrated in 2012 by Canada as a space nation.

It should not have come as a surprise, after all everyone had been warned for months that the budget would see cuts. The fact that the government is spinning the cuts as "savings" still doesn't change the facts, this budget is a tough one for many and in particular the space sector.

The following article first appeared in the first issue of our new magazine Space Quarterly on September 1, 2011. With the opening today of the First Canadian Aerospace Summit in Ottawa we thought it appropriate to publish this article online. The next issue of Space Quarterly will be published December 1. Subscribe to the digital or print edition for more in-depth coverage of the Canadian space systems sector.

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is following up its RADARSAT Next Generation Options Study of last summer with a new feasibility study of a design of an Integrated Automatic Identification System (AIS) Sensor that would eventually be built and placed on the satellites of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM).

Today the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) issued through the tender service MERX a request for two separate firms to carry out a study on the RADARSAT Next Generation Options Study. The primary objective of the study work is to perform an in-depth evaluation of the Department of Defence (DND) requirements for surveillance radars and identify implementation options in a system that would enter into operation after the initial deployment of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission. The RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) is a $497 million program which will tentatively launch three Earth-observation satellites between 2014 and 2015 and is follow-on to the successful Radarsat-1 and Radarsat-2 programs.

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) announced yesterday that the Canadian Space Agency has authorized MDA to start the design phase (C) of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission. The value of this contract is limited to $11.8 million and is expected to be completed by June 11, 2010. The announcement comes two weeks after the federal government unveiled it's budget which included funding for the RADARSAT Constellation.