Space plans for Canada

In the last Canadian federal budget, an additional $110 million dollars was allocated to the Canadian Space Agency specifically for Robotics (early 2009). This is leading edge of the expanded role for robotics in many sectors. A lot (all?) of this money will directly go via the Canadian Space Agency to Canadian High-Tech companies that develop advanced technologies. This money should be important, but in the long term is will get diffused quickly as it gets deployed in several kind of projects. In short, it will be a great stimulus to space robotics and to robotics in general, but it won't be so noticeable to the general public, or even the academic research community other than those tuned in to the industrial sector.



In the longer term, the Canadian Space Agency has been discussing their agenda for space exploration more generally. I was at a Space Exploration Workshop taking place at the Canadian Space Agency, where they have been presenting current and future work on systems and subsystems for Lunar exploration, Mars exploration and the eventual exploration of the Asteroids. In particular, Canada will probably be developing prototypes three different lunar exploration vehicle. These vehicles will be electric and we can reasonably expect lots of back and forth tech transfer with terrestrial vehicles. The plans also call for them to develop and deploy prototypes in realistic terrestrial scenarios. Platform contractors will develop platforms, but also integrate other subsystems onto them.

The Canadian lunar vehicles won't be pressurized (so an astronaut would have to wear a full suit when on board), but will be the ability to carry as pressurized capsule that will be build by another international partner.

With luck, the CSA will find funding to keep these exciting plans going.