The CSA reinforces its long-term partnership with the European Space Agency
Canada is the only non-European cooperating state of the European Space Agency (ESA), a partnership that has spanned over 40 years. This infographic summarizes the advantages of this long-standing relationship for Canadians. (Credit: Canadian Space Agency)
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced recently that Canada was joining the ESA's Space Safety Programme, which aims to address the challenge of protecting space infrastructure in a global context that becomes more complex every day. This participation will make Canadian organizations eligible for contracts related to this specific programme for the first time.
Following the Ministerial Council of ESA held last November and consultations with the space industry, academia and other government departments, the CSA also confirmed new investments totalling €35.1 million (equivalent to approximately $60 million in ) in ESA programmes that have been strategically selected as areas most likely to benefit the Canadian space sector and scientific community: Earth observation, satellite communications, human and robotic exploration, and technology development.
| Amounts | |
|---|---|
| Earth observation | €12.8M (≈$27.4M) |
| Future EO, Period 1, Segment 2 | €8.7M (≈$16.2M) |
| Copernicus Space Component – Segment 4 (CSC-4) Phase 2 | €1.7M (≈$3.3M) |
| Earth Watch – CLIMATE-SPACE | €1.5M (≈$2.7M) |
| Earth Watch – Altius | €0.9M (≈$1.6M) |
| General Support Technology Programme | €1.8M (≈$2.7M) |
| Terra Novae (European Exploration Envelope Programme) Period 3 | €3.0M (≈$5.4M) |
| NAVISP Phase 3, Element 2 (Navigation) | €1.2M (≈$2.2M) |
| ARTES 4.0 (Telecommunications) | €13.2M (≈$24.6M) |
| Space Safety Programme | €3.1M (≈$5.7M) |
These investments are all aligned with the Space Strategy for Canada.
Canada and ESA have been cooperating in space activities for over 40 years in order to provide Canadian organizations with access to European markets, and to foster collaboration in science. Past investments in ESA have resulted in opportunities for Canadian companies worth almost three times the value of the initial contract. The partnership also provides Canada's space sector with access to data from ESA missions and infrastructure. In , Canada renewed its treaty-level agreement with ESA until .