Sale Of MDA Units Leaves Canada's Space Ambitions In The Air

The sale includes the division that developed the Canadarm robotic arm, used on space shuttle missions and on the International Space Station, and also includes ownership and operation of Radarsat-2, a satellite launched in December that government, space and military officials said would act as a tool to protect Canada's Arctic sovereignty. Ex-astronaut and former Canadian Space Agency head Marc Garneau told CBC News the sale raises the delicate issue of whether Canada wants its eye on the Arctic run by a foreign company. "The concern is we might not have 100 per cent control of that satellite from now on," said Garneau, who is running as a Liberal candidate in the next federal election. Under a deal between MDA and the government — which contributed $430 million to the project through the Canadian Space Agency — MDA owns the satellite and can generate revenues from commercial contracts with other nations, while federal government departments in turn will be able to access information from the satellite at no cost. Canadian Space Agency spokesman Paul Engel told CBC News the potential change of ownership of MDA's satellite business to a U.S. firm wouldn't alter the deal the government struck, and that the contract would be fully honoured. ... http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2008/01/11/tech-mda-space.html

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