2019-20 Departmental Plan

Description

The CSA coordinates the space policies and programs of the government of Canada; ensures that other government departments and agencies have access to space data, information, and services to deliver on their mandate; plans, directs and manages projects relating to scientific or industrial space research and the development of space science and technology; promotes the transfer and diffusion of space technology to and throughout the Canadian industry; and encourages the commercial exploitation of the space capabilities, technology, facilities and systems. The CSA also aims to build Canada's capacity and engage the next generation of space scientists and engineers and provide opportunities to inspire young people to develop the required skills and to pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

Planning highlights

The planning highlights section below outlines the four departmental results detailed in the CSA's Departmental Results Framework. Each departmental result is an important element that demonstrates the impact of the CSA on the lives of Canadians.

Result 1 – Space research and development advances science and technology

Investments that support the full spectrum of the R&D innovation cycle from inception through to commercialization is critical for the Canadian space industry. In 2019–20, the CSA will invest in the advancement of technology readiness levels and the risk reduction efforts for innovative space technologies that will be required for future space missions.

In the fall of 2019, the CSA will launch the next wave of the STDP investments in promising technologies, estimated at $20M. The CSA will also fund the ongoing advancement of over 160 space science and technology activities in both industry and academia.

From a space science perspective, planetary exploration and space astronomy missions provide opportunities for Canadian scientists to embark on international space missions and gain access to scientific data. In 2019–20, the CSA will invest $2.1M in Canadian science teams participating in NASA's Curiosity rover mission, the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample-return mission, India's ASTROSAT mission, and Japan's XRISM mission. These projects and others are expected to result in 250 peer-reviewed scientific publications by Canadian space researchers in 2019–20.

In support of advancing space and Earth science and technologies, the CSA will invest $2M to maintain the operation of the Canadian science mission SCISAT. SCISAT is used internationally for monitoring stratospheric ozone and ozone-depleting substances. It is also the only satellite in the world to measure hydrofluorocarbons from space, important to contribute to monitoring efforts of the Kigali Amendment of the United Nations Montreal Protocol. SCISAT's contribution to Arctic research is identified in four areas of the Kigali Amendment: polar ozone depletion, comparison and validation of greenhouse gases, instrument comparisons, and advancement of climate and chemical system models.

In 2019–20, the CSA will select the prime contractor that will design and build the QEYSSat demonstration mission, which is scheduled to launch in 2022–23 on a microsatellite. QEYSSat aims to demonstrate quantum key distribution technology over very long distances and is expected to provide Canada with ultra-secure communications in the age of quantum computing, when traditional encryption will be rendered obsolete. This technology advance is expected to stimulate the pace of innovation towards the quantum key distribution commercialization and position Canadian innovation for the future.

Through these investments, the CSA will contribute to maintaining Canada's Business Expenditures on Research and Development (BERD) in the space sector. At the same time, R&D from the private sector will lead to the development of new cutting-edge space technologies and the advancement of science. As such, it is expected that Canadian businesses will spend $250M in R&D in the space sector in 2019–20. Furthermore, by providing access to high-quality scientific data and supporting researchers, the CSA will contribute to maintaining Canada's international ranking among OECD nations related to the average relative citation score of space-related publications.

Result 2 – Canadians engage with space

Long-duration astronaut missions on the ISS are high-profile and celebrated achievements that inspire and captivate the Canadian public while sparking interest in Canada's space program.

In 2019–20, the CSA will take advantage of Canadian interest in space and the excitement around David Saint-Jacques' mission aboard the ISS, from December 2018 to June 2019, to engage Canada's youth to pursue studies and careers in STEM. Through a multifaceted communications campaign with a variety of activities and events, multimedia products, national contests and museum exhibitions, David Saint-Jacques' mission is expected to produce a minimum of one million engagements on social media, one million views of mission videos, 250,000 visits to mission webpages, 25,000 museum visits, 10,000 live video chats between participants and David Saint-Jacques in space, and 2,500 media mentions. The STEM activities and initiatives related to David Saint-Jacques' mission are expected to engage a minimum of 20,000 students.

The CSA will stimulate the development of the next generation of space scientists and engineers through a range of initiatives that promote science literacy; increase digital, coding and problem solving skills among Canadian students; and implement a STEM strategy. The CSA will continue to engage Canadians by supporting the development of space science & technology and expertise required for the future through the Science, Technology and Expertise Development in Academia (STEDiA) initiative, and offering demonstration opportunities that will result in flight heritage for Canadian organizations through the Capacity Demonstration initiative.

The CSA will continue to implement the Canadian CubeSat Project (CCP). The CCP provides Canadian professors in post-secondary institutions the opportunity to engage their students in real space missions. Through this national initiative, winning teams are offered the unique opportunity to design and build their own miniature satellite called a CubeSat. In 2019–20, the CSA will invite more than 30 students, who will have been selected by participating teams, to its headquarters in Saint-Hubert Quebec, for a one week hands-on workshop, giving them the opportunity to work side by side with CSA experts to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become future space experts.

In order for the CSA to continue to adapt to the rapidly evolving global context, in 2019–20 the CSA will establish a consultative committee that will enable interactions with industry and academia and seek to address common challenges such as attracting new people and organizations into the space sector and renew Canadian talented and skill workforce.

Interest in CSA activities is a major factor in inspiring young people to study and seek a career in the STEM sectors. Engagement on social media will be tracked to demonstrate the level of engagement the CSA has with Canadians with regards to its space activities. As such, it is expected that two million engagements on social media related to the CSA will be generated.

Result 3 – Space information and technologies improve the lives of Canadians

There are two significant ways that the CSA improves the lives of Canadians. The first is through space science and technology that is reused on Earth for the benefit of Canadians, and the second is delivering the data and services that Canadians need from space on a daily basis.

Space infrastructure has a planned lifetime and often Canadian satellites and robotic infrastructure deliver data and services beyond their expected operational life. A space infrastructure can stop functioning if it reaches the end of its operational lifetime, if it suffers a technical malfunction or is hit by space debris. To mitigate this risk, the CSA negotiates agreements with international and commercial entities to ensure uninterrupted availability of Synthetic Aperture Radar, and other data, and monitors space objects to take collision-avoidance measures when necessary in order to minimize the risk of serious damage to all CSA space assets to continue delivering on its results.

In 2019–20, the CSA will put in place a big data centre of expertise to improve the management and the use of space data by federal departments and agencies, provinces and territories, academic institutions and Canadian industry. By putting in place this centre, the CSA will have the infrastructure and the expertise required to manage ever increasing volumes of data that can then be made available to others through a big data strategy.

From a science and technology perspective, during David Saint-Jacques' time aboard the ISS, a series of scientific experiments will be conducted including Vascular Echo and At Home in Space. The Vascular Echo experiment will examine changes in the blood vessels and the heart while the astronauts are in space, and then follow their recovery after their return to Earth. At Home in Space will assess the culture, values, and psychosocial adaptation of astronauts to a space environment shared by multinational astronaut crews on long-duration missions as they deal with the isolated and confined environment of the spacecraft.

In 2019–20, two Canadian-developed technologies will be tested aboard the ISS: Bio-Monitor and Bio-Analyzer. Bio-Monitor, is a smart garment that records six physiological parameters, including heart rate and temperature. Bio-Analyzer is a new technology which will perform real-time analysis of blood cells and biomarkers and seek to better understand how spaceflight impacts the immunity of astronauts during a mission. Both technologies are used in human research on the ISS and are expected to find applications on Earth in areas such as health monitoring in remote areas.

The CSA will also continue to support the joint NASA-CNES (Centre national d'études spatiales) Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) science mission by delivering a key component of the radar instrument, a set of extended interaction klystrons. This technology will enable accurate measurements of Canada's water resources, which in turn will provide the scientific community with a better understanding of the dynamics of the world's oceans and terrestrial surface water, allowing them to address important global issues like climate change and improve our management of water as a strategic resource. SWOT data could lead to improvements in water-related services in Canada, such as weather predictions and flood-warning systems thus benefitting the scientists of Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans who will have access to better data in support of their mandates. This contribution secures privileged access for Canadian scientists to data from SWOT, to be launched in 2021.

Also in 2019–20, the CSA will continue to provide high-quality data services to the various government departments and agencies through RADARSAT-2. The next-generation RCM satellites will be launched and commissioned in 2019. The data resulting from the RCM will contribute to an increased quality and volume of data and services already being offered, such as land use evolution, coastal change, urban sinking, measuring human activity influences on local environments and improving Canada's space-based capabilities to detect ships and manage marine traffic with the use of automatic identification systems. In total, 11 federal departments and agencies are using RADARSAT data to deliver on their mandate, including Environment and Climate Change Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Department of National Defence, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Approximately 37,000 images from the RADARSAT-1 data archives, taken over 17 years, will be made available to the public in 2019–20 in an effort to encourage the development of novel applications and further the socio-economic benefits of this investment. This initiative is expected to increase the number of services offered to Canadians by the government in priority areas such as climate change, the North and innovation. It will also increase the openness of federal scientific activities, demonstrating the CSA's leadership in the management of space-based datasets and commitment to the Directive on Open Government.

The CSA, as part of a joint investment approach (40% CSA and 60% other government departments, industry and academia), will focus on integrating space-based technologies (EO, big data, downstream information products, etc.) to inform Canada's climate change agenda and ensure the development of an operational Government of Canada EO monitoring capability. As a result, the CSA will invest $1.44M in 2019–20 via the EO Application Development initiative in various projects aimed at Climate Change Impacts and Ecosystem Resilience objectives. For instance, the ScanSol project aims to create new opportunities for mining large quantities of images acquired via the different EO satellites to provide the agricultural community with reliable information on the texture and fertility characteristics of agricultural soils.

Investments in space enables the development of new space technologies and applications that will find potential uses on Earth. These novel uses provide economic benefits in addition to improving the quality of life of Canadians, particularly in the health sector. As such, it is expected that 87 services dependent on CSA information (i.e. remote sensing data, including satellite imagery and ‎science observations) will be offered to Canadians in 2019–20.

Result 4 – Canada's investments in space benefit the Canadian economy

In 2019–20, the CSA will continue to foster innovation in the space sector and enable Canadian innovators and entrepreneurs to take advantage of growth opportunities that create well-paying jobs and grow the middle class. These benefits are the ultimate goal of the Innovation and Skills Plan, which is an ambitious effort to make Canada a world-leading centre for innovation.

Since 2001 the number of countries with a space program has increased from 26 to over 65 in 2015. This rapidly evolving landscape has resulted in increased competition from new space-faring countries. To keep its place as a leader, Canada participates in space missions in collaboration with multiple stakeholders and partners. However, committing to new opportunities in a timely fashion can be challenging due to integration of partner components, scheduling concerns and cost increases. The CSA mitigates this complexity by maintaining an active presence with international partners and forums to gather timely information on upcoming plans.

The Canada-European Space Agency Cooperation Agreement fosters Canadian space industry exports and facilitates access to European markets. In November 2019, Canada and ESA member States will announce investments in ESA programs during ESA's Ministerial Council meeting. In 2019–20, the CSA will spend $32M in these new ESA programs and investments.

In the Spring of 2019, the CSA will also announce a second challenge to small businesses to prove the scientific and technical feasibility, and commercial potential, of a novel idea that addresses a public sector challenge as part of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's Innovative Solutions Canada initiative. The CSA will also review and assess the results of its first challenge, which focused on applying artificial intelligence and big data analytics to bring tangible advancements in the operation and utilization of satellites, their data and ground infrastructure in support of government operations, public safety, public health and discovery. Most promising advancements could receive up to $1M of support from the CSA to pursue the development phase of a prototype.

The CSA's investments presented in this Departmental Plan seek to ensure that the Canadian space sector develops value-added services, and ensures that Canada's space sector maintains the value of exports overall. As such, in 2019–20, it is expected that CSA investments will contribute to support the space sector generate $2B in exports and maintain 4,250 highly qualified jobs.

Financial, human resources (HR) and performance information for the Canadian Space Agency's Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Description

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of Programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct services that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. These services are:

• Management and Oversight Services
• Communications Services
• Legal Services
• Human Resources Management Services
• Financial Management Services
• Information Management Services
• Information Technology Services
• Real Property Management Services
• Materiel Management Services
• Acquisition Management Services

Planning highlights

In order to ensure modern, efficient and relevant delivery of internal services, in 2019–20, the CSA will continue to improve its internal services processes and business models in order to be strategically and operationally aligned with international partners, stakeholders, academia, and other government departments. In 2019–20, the CSA will seek to streamline its corporate risk processes and improve its performance measurement methodologies to ensure the data being collected remains relevant and timely. As part of its effort to apply a Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA +) approach, the CSA will also review its program indicators and current methodologies to better monitor its impacts on youth, gender, and diversity. The CSA will also launch and report on the results of the 2019 Canadian Space Sector Survey.

From an employee wellness perspective, in 2019–20, the CSA will merge its three-year Employment Equity and Diversity Plan for an inclusive workplace with its three-year Mental Health and Wellness Plan in an effort to ensure a safe and healthy workplace and establish a Psychological Health and Safety Management System. At the same time, through the enhancement of the skills model to support a talent-based management approach, the CSA will provide continuous development to its employees and create an agile workforce. Finally, the CSA will widen the scope of HR Analytics to strengthen its integrated HR management capacity to better support transition towards the workplace of the future.

In 2019–20, the CSA will begin the implementation of its 3-year Departmental Security Plan to mitigate key corporate security risks and continue to raise staff awareness on the importance of security issues. The CSA will also continue the implementation of its Greening of Government Long-Term Action Plan to achieve low-carbon operations and meet government targets.

The CSA will also continue to implement departmental and government-wide solutions to improve its information management and information technology tools to promote openness and accountability and to enhance business effectiveness, collaboration and mobility (i.e. Wi-Fi, mobile devices, collaborative space). Finally, the CSA will develop its data strategy in response to the government of Canada digital roadmap and will implement appropriate structures, such as its big data centre of expertise, and activities in order to make scientific data and information more accessible to Canadians and to comply with the Plan to the Open Government Partnership, released in December 2018.