Canada
2010 – International Space Station (ISS) – Snapshot
The ISS is a joint project of the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada, and 11 of ESA’s member states to build and operate a research facility in LEO that can host crews of up to six people. Assembly of the ISS in space began in 1998.
2010 – Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) Space Activities – Snapshot
The dominant providers of international fixed satellite services (FSS) are Intelsat, SES, Eutelsat, and Telesat. These four companies collectively own nearly half of all GEO commercial communications satellites (125 satellites, or 47% of the total), and represented 49% of total FSS market revenues in 2010.
2010 – Canadian Government Space Budget – Snapshot
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) managed an FY 2010 budget of C$## million (US$## million), including a planned contribution of C$## million (US$## million) to the European Space Agency. The CSA-only budget of C$## million (US$## million) represents a ##% decrease from the previous year’s CSA-only budget of C$## million (US$## million). The CSA focused its funding in three main activity areas: Earth observation; space science and exploration, which includes robotic and human spaceflight; and satellite communication and navigation systems.
2010 – Demographics – Snapshot
The United States, Canada, and Europe together comprised about 35% of first-degree STEM graduates. Japan and South Korea comprised 8% and 6%, respectively, while Australia comprised 2%. Europe led in STEM doctoral degree production, comprising 44% of the total as of 2006 and experiencing growth of 29% between 2002 and 2006.
2010 – Degrees Awarded – Snapshot
While mechanisms such as the PISA test reveal a cross-national focus on primary and secondary STEM competency, a more direct measure of the potential international space workforce is offered through a comparative analysis of STEM university graduates by country.
Economy: Space Economy – TSR 2010
Workforce: Workforce and Education – TSR 2010
Ship-tracking Satellites Started Production
Preparing to make advances in the shipping industry is COM DEV, a Canadian satellite manufacturer that is developing a global ship identification and tracking service for use by maritime and coastal authorities.
2009 – ISS – Snapshot
The best-known in-space platform is the International Space Station (ISS), a project led by the United States in conjunction with Russia, Canada, Japan, and several member nations of ESA. The ISS operates in LEO and serves as a research facility and testing laboratory. The station has been crewed by astronauts and cosmonauts from 15 different nations and has been serviced by a variety of spacecraft.
2009 – Canadian Government Space Budget – Snapshot
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) managed an annual budget of C$## million (US$## million), in FY 2009, an ##% increase from the previous year’s budget of C$## million. The CSA focused this funding in three main activity areas, including supporting technology development for: Earth observation; space science and exploration, which includes robotics and human spaceflight; and satellite communication and navigation systems.