Speech

The Canadian Perspective on International Partnerships in Space, by Dr. Marc Garneau President, Canadian Space Agency

Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to be here today to represent the Government of Canada and the Canadian Space Agency at this very important commission. Additional documentation has been provided to support this presentation and help guide your deliberations.

History and overview of the Canadian Space Program 

The Canadian Space Program is a living example of the power of leveraged partnerships. More than 40 years ago, the United States helped launch Canada as a space-faring nation with the deployment of Alouette, a small scientific satellite designed to study the ionosphere. That collaboration, which continues to this day, propelled Canada to design and deploy its own commercial telecommunications and broadcast satellites in the years that followed . The legacy of collaboration in space ventures continues today as we celebrate 25 years as a cooperating member of the European Space Agency, and we continue to expand our partnerships with a growing number of agencies around the world.

The Canadian Space Agency champions the nation's space priorities, such as Earth Observation, Space Science and Exploration, Satellite Communications and Space Awareness and Learning.

Following the 1984 invitation by the President of the United States to participate in the development, assembly and operation of the International Space Station, Canada confirmed its intention to join the program and signed the Intergovernmental Agreement.

Canada's contribution to the International Space Station Program is a specialized robotic system that is critical for the assembly and maintenance of the International Space Station (ISS). In exchange for its contribution, Canada has rights to conduct research on the Station, in accordance with a prescribed allocation formula, and also has a responsibility to maintain its contribution and share in the common operating costs.

The primary objective Canada is pursuing in the Station program is the use of this unique space laboratory for scientific research in a microgravity environment. Other objectives include technological, industrial and regional development goals to enhance our nation's expertise in space automation and robotics.

Canada's participation in the ISS represents a major challenge for our nation, especially given that, for a number of years, our overall investment of $1.4 billion peaked to consume fully 50% of our annual budget. Our engineers and technicians achieved a whole new level of excellence as they solved the technological challenges of this complex new robotics system—in terms of size, power, flexibility and reliability. Canadian space industry—small in comparison to that of our partners —managed to pull it off with flying colours.

Experiences as an ISS Partner

Now Mr. Chairman, I would like to share the Canadian experience as an International Space Station partner.

We believe that Canada has demonstrated its capability to act as a reliable and trusted partner in the most complex international space program ever conceived.

We have learned that it is possible for the most advanced space-faring nations to work together, even on a program as complex as the ISS.

More than eight in ten Canadians are proud of Canada's achievements in space and believe it is important to participate in international space projects such as the International Space Station. In response to this support, the CSA is developing a new long-term strategy for our science, technology and space exploration programs.

Recommendations for future  program(s)

Future international missions require that we learn from our experiences with the Space Station Program.

Ideally, an umbrella legal framework, signed by all partners, would allow the cooperating agencies to agree and execute Implementing Arrangements, covering a particular mission or group of missions.

Any concerted international space exploration program based on a partnership, should take into account individual national programs, which may have complementary plans for space exploration. The incorporation of these national efforts into an international space exploration program could provide for a more robust outcome than any one country 's efforts.

National political considerations should not hinder programmatic progress any more than absolutely necessary. The International Space Station program is an example of how political considerations can delay program completion by years, reduce public support, and subsequently drive the cost of the program upward.

Export control mechanisms should be established to facilitate free flow of technical information between partners.

Stable, multilateral planning and approval mechanisms are required to ensure the smooth advancement of program efforts and the success of the long-term objectives of a space exploration program.

Concluding remarks

We congratulate the administration's boldness in setting a new vision for NASA for the human exploration of the solar system.

Canada's long-term plan is to continue to partner with the world's space faring nations.

Space is too complex and too expensive for a country such as Canada to go it alone.

We intend to maintain our role as an important and reliable partner with the aim of advancing our knowledge of the universe, of our own planet Earth, and for the exploration by humans of the solar system.

Mr. Chairman and Commissioners, in closing, I would like to thank the Commission for inviting the station partners to address you. At this point, it would be my pleasure to respond to your questions.