Canada aims to add more satellites to its flagship Earth observation program"as soon as possible" thanks to a fresh funding infusion, a senior space official said in an exclusive interview.change strategy and international disaster response, not to mention military surveillance. The agency allocation is $1.012 billion CDN over 15 years, a substantial boost to annual spending.
"We are planning to go in a competitive procurement process, engaging with Canadian industry to define parameters of that process to acquire Satellite No. 4," Kroupnik said; the exact launching date is not known yet, but CSA already has preparatory steps ready. "It will support current applications that the Radarsat Constellation Mission is enabling, as well as enhance application domains," Kroupnik said of the fourth-generation satellite system. These applications include climate change and disaster response"where we have already demonstrated Canadian leadership," he added.The Canadian Radarsat satellite series monitors oil spills , ship movements, and environmental change, among many other Earth observation uses.
A request for proposals in 2022 for technology research and development projects"in support of future radar EO programs" that include the Earth observation continuity work. This led to, for"innovative technologies with strong commercial potential." Simply put, it's a way of bringing new and promising tech into space with government support.
While sovereign Earth observation data is a primary consideration for CSA, Kroupnik noted there are other avenues for receiving satellite data through government or industry partners where necessary. In fact, CSA recently stepped up to the plate to help the Europeans when their Sentinel-1B satellite unexpectedly