Canadian Space Agency

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA or, in French, l'Agence spatiale canadienne, ASC) is the Canadian government department space agency responsible for Canada's space program. It was established in March 1989 by the Canadian Space Agency Act and sanctioned in December 1990. The Chief Executive Officer of the agency is the President who reports to the Minister of Industry.

The headquarters of the CSA is located at John H. Chapman Space Centre in Saint-Hubert, Quebec. The agency also has offices in Ottawa, Canada at the David Florida Laboratory (which is mainly an engineering installation) and small liaison offices in Washington, D.C., Paris, France, Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Houston, Texas.

The agency is a relatively modest federal establishment, with only 575 employees and a rotating student population of about 100 interns or summer workers. Most of the staff is at the Chapman Centre.

History

With the launch of Alouette in 1962 Canada became the third Country to launch a man-made satellite into space. Another Canadian first with the launch of Anik A-1, making Canada the first country in the world to have its own domestic geostationary communication satellite network in 1972.

Eight Canadians have participated on 11 NASA manned missions to date.

Mission and mandate

Mission

The Canadian Space Agency's mission statement says that the agency is committed to leading the development and application of space knowledge for the benefit of Canadians and humanity.

To achieve this, the CSA attempts to promote an environment where all levels of the organization:

pursue excellence collectively
advocate a client-oriented attitude
support employee-oriented practises and open communications
commit themselves to both empowerment and accountability and
pledge to cooperate and work with partners to mutual benefit

Mandate

The legislated mandate of the CSA, from the Canadian Space Agency Act, SC. 1990, c. 13, is:

"To promote the peaceful use and development of space, to advance the knowledge of space through science and to ensure that space science and technology provide social and economic benefits for Canadians".

Cooperation with other national agencies

The CSA has several formal and informal partnerships and collaborative programs or agreements with space agencies in other countries, such as NASA, ESA and JAXA.

Since January 1st 1979, Canada has the special status of a cooperating state with the ESA, paying for the privilege and also investing in working time and providing scientific instruments which are placed on European probes. On June 21st 2000, the accord was renewed for a 4th period, this time for 10 years. By virtue of this accord Canada takes part in ESA deliberative bodies and decision-making and in ESA's programmes and activities. Canadian firms can bid for and receive contracts to work on programmes. The accord has a provision specifically ensuring a fair industrial return to Canada.

Future ambitions

Along with the planned manned missions into space, the CSA has finished design and build phases of a new space telescope to be launched within the year (launch date TBA). The telescope will be the smallest ever sent into space as well as the cheapest (at a cost of around $10,000,000 CDN). [1]

Canadian Space Program

The Canadian Space Program is also administered by the Canadian Space Agency. Canada has contributed technology, expertise and personnel to the world space effort, especially in collaboration with NASA and the ESA.

In addition to its astronauts, some of the most notable Canadian technological contributions to space exploration are the Canadarm (on the Space Shuttle) and the Canadarm2 and the rest of the Mobile Servicing System (on the International Space Station). The Canadarm and Canadarm2 are assisted by the Advanced Space Vision System allowing more efficient use of the robotic arms.

Canadians in Space

Eight Canadians have participated on 11 NASA manned missions to date:

Name	Shuttle	Mission	Launch date	Notes
Marc Garneau	Challenger	STS-41-G	October 5, 1984	First Canadian in space
Roberta Bondar	Discovery	STS-42	January 22, 1992	First Canadian woman in space
Steven MacLean	Columbia	STS-52	October 22, 1992
Chris Hadfield	Atlantis	STS-74	November 12, 1995
Marc Garneau	Endeavour	STS-77	May 19, 1996
Robert Thirsk	Columbia	STS-78	June 20, 1996
Bjarni Tryggvason	Discovery	STS-85	August 7, 1997
Dafydd Williams	Columbia	STS-90	April 17, 1998
Julie Payette	Discovery	STS-96	May 27, 1999
Marc Garneau	Endeavour	STS-97	November 30, 2000
Chris Hadfield	Endeavour	STS-100	April 19, 2001	First spacewalk by a Canadian

Note: Michael McKay resigned due to medical reasons before having a space flight.

Owing to the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, two further shuttle flights (Steve MacLean in May 2003 and Dave Williams in November 2003) have been put on hold. Two Canadian experiments were destroyed in the loss of Columbia.

Canadian satellites

External links