Tags: Canada, Canadian Space Agency, Radarsat Constellation Mission, Radarsat-2
Publication: MSNBC.MSN.com
Publication Date: 11/16/2012

Canada’s Radarsat Constellation Mission will be formed by three satellites to be used for maritime surveillance, disaster management, and ecosystem monitoring. Image credit: Canadian Space Agengy

A delay of two years on Canada’s new satellite fleet could risk the country’s defense capabilities. The Radarsat Constellation Mission (RCM) is planned to replace five-year-old Radarsat-2 satellite that scans Canada’s territory and other countries’ with radar signals. Radarsat-2 is expected to last until 2015 and RCM will not be launched until 2016 or even 2017, opening a gap in Canada’s Earth observation capabilities.

The country’s defense department maintains that Canada’s sovereignty will not be threatened by RCM’s delay because they count with many other systems and counts with support from their allies to continue protecting Canada. This, however, contradicts statements from defense officials published last month.

The Canadian Space Agency oversees RCM’s development, which is a complex one due to its plurality of functions such as defense, disaster management and environmental monitoring. This means the Agency must respond to different department’s requirements, which makes the process slower. Additionally, the Agency and its contractors underwent budget cuts earlier this year. Critics say the main reason for the delay is that the government hasn’t given top priority to the RCM.

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