Space Fizz

Could China be the next partner nation to join the International Space Station?  Current discussions in Quebec City at the ISS HOA (Heads Of Agencies) may suggest just that.  All five participating agencies: Canada, the United States, Russia, Japan, and the ESA, have all committed to supporting the ISS until 2020.  Yet these five agencies acknowledge there is somewhat of an open invitation for other countries to join.

Yesterday  Vladimir Popovkin, the head of the Russian Space agency, acknowledged "we are not a closed club, our doors are wide open."  Popovkin went on to suggest that one day countries lik China and India would join the ISS team.  

Jean-Jacques Dordain, head of the European body, said he hopes the International Space Station partnership would be open, adding it would benefit from co-operation with China.

"I am in favour of seeing how we can work together with China," he told reporters after the meeting in Quebec City. "It will take some steps, but it will come, I am sure."

NASA chief administrator Charles Bolden confirmed that the five partner agencies are "reaching out" to other non-traditional nations.

While the talks in Quebec are focussing on plans for the ISS up to the 2020 comittment date, Bolden did acknowledge that the sation itself should be viable until at least 2028.

These details were reported in an article published by the Canadian Press.  The full Canadian Press story has been attached below.

Photo Credit: CSA.

The Canadian Space Agency has launched a project called AuroraMAX, in which they set up a camera in Yellowknife to broadcast the aurora borealis to the general public. It's part of a 5-year educational initiative to raise awareness of space weather and the sun's influence on Earth. 

The AuroraMAX Project is an educational and outreach initiative designed to monitor the intensity and frequency of the aurora borealis (Northern Lights.)  The observatory is setup in the the captial of Canada's Northwest Territory, Yellowknife.  The initent is to monitor the aurora borealis leading up to the Solar Maximum, expected in 2013.  

Initiated by the Canadian Space Agency, this is a joint venture between the CSA, University of Calgary, Astronomy North, and the City of Yellowknife.  The project involves a series of online modules and features that invite you to "Discover, Explore, and Connect to the Aurora Borealis like never before."

AuroraMAX will explore the science behind sunspots, space weather, Earth's magnetic field and the Northern Lights.  The headlining feature of this whole project, is a 360 degree live-feed sky view camera from the observatory in Yellowknife.  Anyone online can view the aurora borealis as if they were standing in the Canadian north.

http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronomy/auroramax/connect.asp

Today the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) reaffirmed it's commitment to the International Space Station beyond 2015.  The details include another 5 years of confirmed support from Canada until 2020.  The announcement was made while the heads of the worlds five largest space agencies meet this week in Quebec City to discuss the future of the ISS.  This is great news for the ISS and for Canada.  With Canadian industry heavily involved with ISS robotics and research, the private sector is equally excited about today's announcement.

There was lots of specualtion as to why Canada's space agency seemed to be dragging their feet prior to recomitting to the ISS.  In particular, most International Space Station partner countries had recommited much earlier.  Some have suggested that the Canadian Space Agency was negotiating to have more Canadian astronaut participation on Space Station missions.  Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield will travel to the ISS for a six-month stay as Mission Commander at the end of 2012. Beyond Hadfield, there are currently no further missions schedule for Canadian astronaut before the end of this decade.  Further speculation for Canada's delayed response was based on looming spending cuts anticipated from the federal government.

Aside from committing to the International Space Station until 2020, the Canadian Space Agency also unveiled two unique space projects.  One is Microflow, and the other is Lab on a CD.  Both are designed to rapidly accelerate the diagnosis of patients both on Earth and in space.

The official press release from the Canadian Space Agency is attached below.

Photo Credit: CSA

A6X9PB4K84M7

As the heads of the worlds five largest space agencies meet this week in in Quebec City Canada, many industry leaders will be watching.  A ctv.ca article earlier this week went as far as to suggest that Canada could play a key role in a new international space race, with the next sprint to the moon gearing up as an extra-terrestrial gold rush. 

They will also address an idea gaining currency in business and scientific circles: that within human reach lies an unfathomable wealth of resources, some of them common on Earth and others so exotic that they could change the way we live.

As Canada has nearly one-quarter of the world's top mining companies, many hope that Canadian firms will be involved with any discussion of lunar exploration.  Several countries, including China, have expressed a desire to start mining the moon's resources. The mining industry in Canada is now waiting for the Canadian Space Agency to make its intentions known, while the agency awaits direction from the Canadian federal government.

"When members of the international space community decide to go to the Moon or Mars, the CSA and Canada will be ready to contribute," the agency told The Canadian Press in an email last week.  In co-operation with NASA and several Canadian firms, The CSA has already begun developing a number of prototype lunar rovers.

The testing of these prototypes on Earth, with special drills for excavating, has already begun and more tests are planned this summer in Hawaii. The next phase would involve building space-bound rovers -- but the CSA can't move forward without federal approval.