[10-26-07 – Satellite Today]  Canada is ready to launch Radarsat-2 in December, the Canadian Space Agency announced Oct. 25.

The satellite, scheduled to be launched Dec. 8 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, will protect Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic, said Jim Prentice, Canada’s Minister of Industry.

"Radarsat-2 will also provide improved surveillance and monitoring capabilities that will provide critical data for the active management of natural resources and monitoring of the environment. In the event of a disaster, Radarsat-2 will be an indispensable tool to provide rescue and humanitarian aid to those most in need,”said Minister Prentice.