CSA Director General eyes future, long-term presence of Canada in space - NASASpaceflight.com

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From the robotic arms of the Shuttle era and the International Space Station to synthetic aperture radar programs and satellites studying critical elements of Earth’s changing climate to telecommunication needs in the northern parts of the country, Canada has been a mainstay of space exploration from the beginning

Last week, NASASpaceflight’s Nathan Barker and Chris Gebhardt spoke with Gilles Leclerc, Director General, Space Exploration at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), who has been an instrumental figure within the Canadian space program for decades and who has held various roles within CSA since its formal founding in 1990

Prior to CSA, the Canadian space program operated under the National Research Council.  After a number of efforts were made from the mid-1940s to study the upper atmosphere and space, Canadian space research moved toward the creation of suborbital rockets (Black Brant, which still flies today) and the nation’s first satellite, Alouette 1, which launched in 1962 on a Thor-Agena rocket from the Pacific Missile Range, now known as Vandenberg Air Force Base.  

Space Shuttle program and now continues to offer unexpected and new support for the International Space Station

Flying on 90 of the 135 Shuttle missions, the five Canadarms of the program supported objectives from deploying and recapturing satellites to servicing the Hubble Space Telescope to constructing the International Space Station.  

In 2001, the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS), Canadarm2, was launched on STS-100/Endeavour and installed by Chris Hadfield — a Canadian astronaut.  This 17.6 metre, 58 foot titanium arm can move payloads as heavy as 116,000 kg (256,000 lbs) and — with its dual Latching End Effectors, or “hands” — has the ability to “inchworm” or “walk” itself across the Station’s platform

Even with Canadarm2’s abilities, the Station program also asked for another robotic arm assembly, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator — or Dextre, through the Canadian Space Agency.  Dextre was built by MDA and delivered to orbit in March 2008 on STS-123/Endeavour

For Canadarm2 specifically, the automation work now underway within the world-famous robotic arm is a small part of an unprecedented 24 year financial commitment from the Canadian Space Agency to NASA’s Lunar Gateway and exploration programs, commonly wrapped together under the umbrella of the Artemis program

Gilles Leclerc, Director General, Space Exploration at the Canadian Space Agency

(Credit: Canadian Space Agency, NASA)

The Memorandum Of Understanding between NASA and the Canadian Space Agency for Canadarm3, which should be signed in the coming days or weeks, holds a guaranteed 15 year planned lifetime for the arm

Those negotiations are an intricate and complex part of the agreements between the international agencies supporting the Artemis Program and Gateway efforts (NASA, CSA, the European Space Agency, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)

Nevertheless, flights to the Station and Gateway via NASA partnership are not the only avenues to space now available and interesting to CSA.  Leclerc noted that seats on commercial SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Boeing Starliner missions are also future possibilities for additional Canadian flights

“So the goal [that’s] written in the National Space Strategy is to sustain and have a viable astronaut program in Canada.  So that means regular flights to the Gateway and the Moon and Mars,” noted Leclerc

The reverse side of a Canadian $5 note, highlighting Canada’s continued contribution to space exploration and the field of robotics

But beyond that, the commitment of the Canadian Space Agency to bolster, embolden, and invigorate private companies into taking the reins and ownership of space exploration is paramount

“It’s been the creed of the Canadian space program, making sure that government at the beginning will promote, will start research, will fund research,” said Leclerc.  “When you look at the history of the space program, we had the first domestic telecommunications satellite.  But the knowledge was transferred to industry very quickly.  In fact Telesat, which is now a private company, was originally the creation of the government.  And we did that transfer.”

With approximately 80% of the Canadian Space Agency’s annual budget going to industry, the agency itself is more of a project manager.  Instead of hiring scientists themselves, they partner with research institutions and universities to promote and fund scientific research