Report: Canada to Move Forward with Expensive Radarsat Program
By Jeffrey Hill | January 9, 2013
[Satellite TODAY 01-09-13] The projected costs of the Canadian government’s three-satellite Radarsat constellation program have grown from $600 million to more than $1 billion, according to several reports published Jan. 9. Additionally, Canadian officials confirmed that Federal Industry Minister Christian Paradis would announce Wednesday that the government plans on moving forward with the project despite the costs.
The Radarsat program was established in 2005 and contracted out to MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) for project development. The satellites will be used for maritime surveillance, disaster management and environmental monitoring over Canadian territory on land and at sea. Radarsat is scheduled to launch between 2016 and 2017. MDA recently submitted a revised proposal to the government for the construction phase of the constellation.
Officials from MDA and the Canadian Space Agency will join Paradis at the company’s satellite systems office to make “a significant announcement,” according to officials.