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Canada’s role and potential involvement in the growing new space economy requires a commitment from the Government of Canada for a new space strategy, the group president of MDA, a Maxar company, said in a speech to the Aerospace, Defence and Security Expo.
“The most pressing question is whether Canada will participate, or not, in the international space community’s next big exploration project,” said Mike Greenley, group president of MDA.
“The United States, Europe, Japan and Russia are currently planning a return to the Moon in the 2020s. NASA will build a small space station that orbits the Moon, as a base for lunar exploration and as a gateway to explore deeper space. The international community expects Canada to participate in this mission and to provide advanced AI and robotics–our traditional and strategic role.”
Greenley said the international community expects and wants Canada to participate.
“Making a commitment to participate in the Lunar Gateway as part of the upcoming space strategy would signal to the world that Canada plans to claim its place in the new space economy,” said Greenley. “The current space-related global market opportunity is commonly estimated to be US$380 billion, which analysts forecast will grow to be a multi-trillion-dollar market in coming decades.”
Greenley said the needed commitment is not enormous.
Part of Canada’s commitment would help fund Canadarm 3, the next generation of the iconic Canadian technology featured prominently on the Canadian $5 bill.
“The next generation of Canadarm would provide highly visible, innovative and critical Lunar Gateway operations, including the assembly of the gateway itself (and its ongoing maintenance), the capture of visiting spacecraft; and would enable science to be conducted in the lunar vicinity,” said Greenley.
Greenley said MDA and other partners in the Canadian space industry will spend the summer and fall of 2018 talking to Canadians and elected officials about the possibilities of space.
