2021–22 Departmental Results Report

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 space capabilities, technology, facilities and systems. The CSA also aims to build Canada's capacity, 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 (STEM).

Result 1 — Space research and development advance science and technology

The James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) was launched on December 25th, 2021. Once it reached its home orbit around the Sun, 1.5M kilometres away from Earth, the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS), a Canadian instrument, was carefully awoken and played its crucial role in the alignment of the 18 mirrors and the telescope stabilization. In the weeks following this "fine phasing" step, the Webb team aligned the other instruments, such as the Canadian Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS), another Canadian contribution that will study the composition of exoplanet's atmosphere. Thus, the most powerful telescope ever built was able to start capturing the depths of our universe.

Canada's enduring role in space would not be possible without its significant contributions to the International Space Station (ISS). Its onboard robotic system (consisting of Canadarm2, the "arm," Dextre, the "hand" and the Mobile Base System, a transport and storage platform) — continued to meet all ISS demands.

In January 2022, NASA announced its plan to deorbit the ISS in 2030. While continuing to take advantage of the largest peacetime engineering project ever undertaken, the CSA is preparing for the transition to the next major international collaboration in space, the Lunar Gateway space station, paving the way for the next generation of space robotics.

The first phase of Canadarm3, which identified the scope and specific tasks that will be carried out by the autonomous, AI-enabled "arm" on the Gateway, was finalized in February 2022, allowing the selected contractor to proceed with the next phase: the design. The application of the Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy to the project helps ensure that previous and future investments and commercial activities take place on Canadian soil — a contribution to the country's GDP estimated at over $70M annually and the maintaining of 630 jobs over 12 years. The definition phase of the Gateway External Robotic Interfaces (GERI) has also been completed, with their preliminary design having started in March 2022. The GERI are grips that will provide connexion points between Canadarm3, the Gateway and on visiting vehicles, allowing Canadarm3 to anchor itself, move around and reconfigure the station's modules, and perform operations such as catching arriving spacecrafts and repositioning them on the station.

The contribution of Canadarm3 to the Lunar Gateway has earned the opportunity for the CSA to fly an astronaut around the Moon onboard the Artemis II mission, scheduled for launch in 2024. The groundwork for the Canadian participation has proceeded as planned in 2021–22: the project team has been formed and is currently preparing for the start of the next phase in October 2022, which will detail the requirements and specifications of this historical project.

As the world undertakes the challenge of establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon, the CSA's Lunar Surface Exploration Initiative (LSEI) has supported the development of the industrial capacity to launch Canada's space sector in this new era of space exploration. Seven contracts were put in place with Canadian companies to develop concepts and prototypes that will define the next major Canadian contributions to human spaceflight, especially on the lunar surface.

Meanwhile, a new wave of Space Technology Development Program (STDP) investments was launched to support the development and maturation of technologies for future space missions. The STDP diversified its funding opportunities, now supporting the demonstration of capabilities in space while maintaining its commitment to research and development (R&D). Through LEAP, $8.5M was awarded in 2021–22 for the development of Canadian lunar technologies and their integration into the lunar economy, including $3.6M for the capability demonstration of two technologies. In addition to contributing to Canada's Business Expenditures in R&D (BERD), which reached $479 M in 2020, STDP investments will lead to Canadian science and technologies being demonstrated on the Moon for the very first time in 2024.

The design of the Quantum Encryption and Science Satellite (QEYSSat) continued, with some delays mainly due to procurement challenges pushing off the implementation phase to 2023–24, with the launch now planned for early 2024. Once in service, QEYSSat's Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology will provide a communication method whose security is based on the physical properties of quantum mechanics, providing Canada with a highly secure communication infrastructure.

Several instruments that aim to monitor the Earth from space have seen their technology readiness level (TRL) mature — the higher the TRL of a technology, the more secure, operational and market-ready it is. For example, the CSA and the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) initiated a study to adapt the American Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument, which currently provides a complete picture of the atmosphere every five minutes, to be used on the Arctic Observing Mission (AOM), a joint proposed project of ECCC and the CSA.

Feasibility studies continued to demonstrate the measurement capability of the High-altitude Aerosols, Water vapour and Clouds (HAWC) instrument suite, which is the envisioned contribution to the NASA's Aerosols – Clouds, Convection, Precipitation Earth science mission (A‑CCP). The data collected by this mission will allow Canada to better predict and adapt to floods, droughts and other weather events, such as poor air quality.

A series of grants were awarded to help Canadian scientists secure access to international missions to conduct high-calibre research that maintains Canada's reputation as a leading space-faring nation. Having acquired between up to 5% of the total Webb observation time, Canadian scientists will be able to use up to 450 hours of exclusive access with instruments such as the Canadian NIRISS to study the atmospheres of exoplanets and the evolution of galaxies. Canadian universities that gained observation time on India's AstroSat mission, an opportunity made possible by Canada's contribution of sensitive detectors for the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) instrument, were awarded four grants to study star formation. The CSA also obtained observation time on Japan's X‑Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) for Canadian scientists to study the X‑rays emitted by the violent birth and death of stars and galaxies or the behaviour of matter close to black holes. Although XRISM's launch was delayed to February 2023, Canadian scientists continue to participate in the science team.

In preparation for the return of OSIRIS‑REx samples from asteroid Bennu in September 2023, the CSA laboratories are being upgraded to curate Canada's share of the precious cargo. After the Earth entry capsule is delivered, the OSIRIS‑REx probe will head out to encounter another asteroid, Apophis. Canada's OSIRIS‑REx Laser Altimeter will play a crucial role again, scanning the whole surface and creating a 3D model of the asteroid.

In the last 355 sols (Martian days), the equivalent of one year on Earth, the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument on NASA's rover Curiosity, which criss-crosses the surface of the red planet searching for the signatures ancient life may have left behind, has measured the chemical elements of 169 rock and regolith samples and downlinked 376 experiment data records. Grants were awarded to two Canadian scientists selected through NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Participating Scientists competition, who will contribute to find out if Mars ever was — or still is — a habitable planet. Curiosity's data will be used to investigate the planet's transition from a warmer, wetter era to the dry, subfreezing and inhospitable environment of today, and to examine the factors affecting the variations of the methane that seeps from the Martian underground, a gas produced both by inorganic processes and by living organisms on Earth.

A new SCISAT dataset on ozone-depleting substances and all major greenhouse gases (GHG) was released and made available to be used by ECCC and academic researchers around the world. In addition to having led to two journal publications thanks to the quality of its measurements, the dataset will contribute to the upcoming 2022 UN Ozone Assessment Report. Thanks to its excellent performance, the SCISAT mission is now moving beyond its original mandate, providing data on ozone depletion, and contributing to studies on climate change, air quality and pollution from space.

By providing access to high-quality scientific data and supporting researchers, the CSA has contributed to the influence and impact of Canadian space-related research worldwide. Over the past year, Canada has improved its ranking on the Average of Relative Citations, which measures the frequency with which space-related scientific publications are cited, placing it the first among G7 countries and fifteenth among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations.

Result 2 — Canadians engage with space

By building on Canadians' interest in space and by providing opportunities for youth of all horizons to acquire the skills to pursue studies and careers in STEM, the CSA continued to encourage the development of the next generation of scientists and engineers. The CSA quickly adapted to the challenges posed by COVID‑19 restrictions, supporting students and young professionals, cementing its international partnerships, and expanding its outreach activities to connect with thousands.

The Junior Astronaut virtual camp was kicked off in June 2021, where 52 space enthusiasts from grades 6 to 9 (secondary 3 in Québec) were given the opportunity to work with experts and astronauts to design a lunar greenhouse, maintain their fitness, investigate environmental events using satellite data and remotely drive a rover on our analogue terrain situated in Longueil. They also received a guided tour of the Robotics Mission Control Centre and the Canadarm2 and Dextre training simulator.

The CSA Speakers Bureau supported 130 outreach activities from coast to coast to give Canadians direct contact with space specialists. Among these events, 49 virtual presentations by experts and astronauts were held to engage with youth, from kindergarten to university. These initiatives allowed the CSA to reach over 51,000 participants, both virtually and in-person.

The Canadian CubeSat Project continued to support the 15 teams of students and professors across the country in the development of their miniature satellites. While the design of all CubeSats was approved and several webinars were held to guide the teams through every stage of their project, the timeline was adjusted following the shutting down of campus to limit the spread of COVID‑19. The next step, putting the satellites through the vibration tests required to make sure they can sustain the rigours of a launch in space, was postponed to 2022–23, the first batch now planned to be launched from the ISS in the fall of 2022.

Two stratospheric balloon campaigns were launched as part of the CSA's stratospheric balloon program, STRATOS, where post-secondary students had the opportunity to design, build and test new technologies, and integrate their payloads onto a stratospheric balloon to conduct experiments in a near-space environment. Four Canadian payloads testing EO technologies and atmospheric composition were launched: two from the Timmins Stratospheric Balloon Base, and two from Kiruna, Sweden, during the Zero Pressure Balloon (ZPB) campaign KLIMAT 2021.

KLIMAT 2021 is the result of a decade of collaboration between the CSA and France's Centre national d'études spatiales, and negotiations started on January 19th, which ultimately led to the successful renewal of this bilateral partnership for the next decade. While it will secure scientific ballooning opportunities for Canadian academia and industry, the agreement also covers the use of telemetry and tracking stations in Eastern Canada for launches from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana (where Webb was launched from), space medicine and missions for environmental and climate science.

Post-secondary students from institutions across the country were awarded 22 grants, representing $4M, through the Science, Technology and Expertise Development in Academia (STEDiA) initiative for projects providing hands-on experience in space-related missions to develop the space science, technology and expertise that will be needed for future commercial and government space missions. The CSA issued two Announcements of Opportunity and provided financial support to participants of NASA's I² International Internship Project, so that high-calibre researchers, particularly affected by travel restrictions on internships and conferences, can keep transforming their knowledge into opportunities and promote Canadian science on the international scene.

By providing opportunities for youth, students and young professionals to acquire the skills to pursue studies and careers in STEM and by cultivating a critical mass of highly qualified personnel (HQP), the CSA's efforts resulted in 1,489 new people, including 14 organizations, to enter space-related fields. The year 2021–22 was also exceptional for the interest generated by Canada's Space Program on social media, with the 5,176 posts having generated 4.1M engagements.

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

Since Alouette I's launch in 1962, Canadian satellites have provided information that is integral to our daily lives and essential for evidence-based decision-making. As our capacity to monitor the planet and use the data has increased, Canada's investments in EO capabilities enabled it to build a world-class space sector. Industry, researchers, and governments develop and deliver space-based solutions for a myriad of terrestrial challenges such as food security, weather forecasts, cultural preservation, water and air quality, national defence, wildfires, emergency responses and disease monitoring.

To date, the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) team has provided over 300,000 EO images of the entire Canadian territory and maritime approaches to 10 federal departments and agencies, supporting them in their requirement for space data to deliver responsive and cost-effective services to Canadians in disaster management, ecosystem monitoring and maritime surveillance. It has become one of the most responsive systems of the International Charter "Space and Major Disasters". Complemented by the 13 years of RADARSAT-2 archives and processing services, RCM delivered critical data to disaster management authorities for every charter activation that requested its help, and this, in less than four hours.

Since RCM can provide snapshots of 90% of the world's surface up to four times a day in any weather condition, the value-added potential of its data is driving an increased demand for access. Through sustained collaboration with other departments, regulatory organizations and user communities, RCM's data offer has been broadened to meet the expanding needs of its growing clientele. All categories of non-governmental users can now apply to become vetted, gaining access to virtually all archived data. In fact, 119 organizations from the Canadian industry, academia, provinces and territories are already accredited, as well as many international partners.

With RCM's prime design life ending in 2026, the CSA has initiated concept studies to find cost-effective solutions to minimize disruptions in EO data offer. The CSA established the foundations for ongoing and future partnerships with international space agencies, and coordinated numerous comprehensive analyses, all aimed at determining the best way to ensure service continuity post-RCM (2026–2041).

In line with its commitment to Open Government, the CSA, through its partnership with NRCan, NASA's Alaska Satellite Facility and the private sector, has repatriated both raw and processed RADARSAT-1 data. The 674,000 historical images from the satellite that generated the longest timespan of synthetic aperture radar data in the world is now available to the public on the Earth Observation Data Management System, for free.

An agreement between the CSA, NRCan and ECCC was signed to consolidate the partnership for WildFireSat, a collaboration that will drastically increase Canada's ability to manage and reduce losses from wildfires. The CSA satellite-based data will be used to monitor wildfires from space; information on their location, progression, on the air quality and carbon emissions will then be relayed to responders on the ground, so that they can determine which resources to deploy in priority.

The rich data provided by EO satellites has to be processed into usable information for making evidence-based decisions and providing services: smartEarth, the CSA's EO application funding development program, continued to address this need by supporting innovative solutions derived from satellite data in 2021–22. Ten Climate Change Impacts and Ecosystem Resilience (CCIER) projects led by the Canadian EO industry were completed in 2021. These applications, addressing challenges ranging from agriculture to infrastructure, coastal and marine environments, forestry and climate change, have yielded close partnerships with the EO community. The CCIER investments contributed to an increase in key performance indicators for knowledge, data and information, workforce, outreach, collaboration and economic growth.

Satellite data can also be used to protect fauna: five companies are developing EO applications under smartWhales, a smartEarthix initiative, to detect, monitor, and ultimately protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Working with Fisheries and Ocean Canada and Transport Canada, the CSA will contribute to enhancing Canada's ability to predict and model the whales' movements by providing satellite data to mitigate the risk of collision with ships, help spot whales tangled in fishing nets and prevent further population decline.

To prepare for the launch in December 2022, four grants were awarded to Canadian universities to support the use of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) data as it becomes available. By providing a crucial component to the mission — a set of high-power radar signal amplifiers called extended interaction klystrons — Canada has gained early access to the data, which the scientific teams are ready to collect and process. Combined with RCM data, as well as oceanographic and hydrological models, the information received from the SWOT mission should lead to improvements in coastal and water-related services in Canada, such as forecasts of currents, storm surges, and floods.

To better prepare Canada in the event of a major solar storm, the CSA continued to support the 13 Canadian research teams that use satellite data to improve our space weather forecasting capabilities and our understanding of the Sun–Earth system. In 2021–22, the contracts and grants awarded to academia led to advancements in models used by researchers in government departments that observe the space environment and the effect of space weather on communications over Canada.

Space debris threats have become a routine hazard faced by all satellites. They can provoke serious damage, disrupt services dependent on space data, and endanger lives. Throughout 2021–22, the Conjunction Risk Assessment and Mitigation System (CRAMS) delivered critical analyses so satellite operators could mitigate collision risks. The space situational awareness services maintained their contribution to the sustainability of the space environment with the continuous operation of the CSA's Near-Earth Orbit Surveillance Satellite (NEOSSat). This satellite provides Canada with a platform for tracking satellites, space debris and asteroids, as well as for conducting advanced research. Through NEOSSat's Guest Observer Program, scientists can acquire and analyze data on near-Earth asteroids and comets and even on other star and exoplanet systems.

Going to the Moon takes about three days; the round trip to Mars takes roughly 21 months. Keeping astronauts safe and healthy during these long missions will be critical, as there will be little to no possibility of resupply or emergency evacuation, and communication delays will become increasingly significant. Fortunately, scientific research on the ISS provides unparalleled data for deep-space exploration, as well as applicable solutions to the challenges faced by people living in remote communities.

The activities for six studies conducted both aboard the ISS and on Earth were successfully performed, including Vection, Wayfinding, and Vascular Aging. These studies and their data have the potential to help with Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and balance problems. With limited time and resources aboard the ISS, it is critical to optimize their use and expand research opportunities on Earth. Nine grants were awarded for research projects to enhance and complement studies undertaken on the ISS by using the data collected to further our understanding of health risks related to spaceflight.

One of the main factors affecting the body in space is microgravity (when astronauts and objects float), whose impact mirrors the effects of aging and the complications of a sedentary lifestyle. Eight new grant agreements were signed to support Canadian scientists' leadership in research on the physiological and psychological effects that spaceflight has on astronauts, through bed-rest studies and dry‑immersion studies (where participants are immersed up to the neck in water tanks while protected with waterproof fabric) sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA). Bed-rest studies that tested the efficacy of centrifugation to mitigate the effects such as muscle loss were initiated, and the data collection was completed for all cohorts. The results will provide crucial insight for the new astronaut health protocol, which has begun its elaboration phase. In addition, these findings will be complemented by results from experiments using the Bio-Monitor, a non-invasive technology that makes the monitoring of vital signs easier.

Canada is in a unique position to leverage the synergy between spatial and terrestrial health challenges and take on a major leadership role in remote healthcare delivery in space and to underserved populations on Earth. The vision of a potential program and recommendations to leverage deep-space healthcare were outlined in the Health Beyond – report, published in June 2021. One of its proposed actions was to accelerate the establishment of a demonstration site in a northern and remote setting as a means to evaluate remote clinical approaches and innovations and to nurture fruitful relations with Indigenous communities and other critical stakeholders. As for the National Research Council (NRC) Arctic and Northern Challenge program, its launch has been delayed. Considering the new timeline, the Health Beyond team will assess the capacity of the initiative to support the CSA's goal of demonstrating health care solutions that address concerns for both human spaceflight and isolated communities.

Through its long-standing partnership with NRC and its Industrial Research Assistance Program, the CSA has launched an R&D activity and approved eight projects from small and medium-sized enterprises and academia to develop space health technologies, which all have potential direct applications for healthcare delivery in remote and isolated communities and are excellent candidates for potential deep‑space missions.

New detection and diagnostic technologies that can address challenges facing both front-line workers in remote communities and crews on deep‑space missions have also found support from the Deep Space Healthcare Challenge, a CSA and Impact Canada collaboration. After submitting their designs in February 2022, 20 semi‑finalists have moved on to phase 2 — determining if their idea can be turned into a reality. Five finalists will be announced in the fall of 2022 to begin building their prototypes.

Long trips in space require growing food in remote and harsh environments. Another CSA––Impact Canada–Impact Canada competition, the Deep Space Food Challenge, seeks to address this challenge by developing ideas on producing sustainable, nutritious and tasty food that requires minimal input and generates minimum waste. Ten semi-finalists were selected in November 2021 to build the prototype of a food production technology. The teams received the CSA's guidance and expertise, and attended an information session on food safety by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to help them integrate the safety standards and quality requirements to eventually bring their product to market.

The CSA has contributed to improving the lives of Canadians in two significant ways in 2021–22. First, by enabling 101 services dependent on the CSA's space-based data, such as early season crop classification and crop disease risk assessment, river ice monitoring to manage flood impact, and coast monitoring to improve hunters' safety and to support the traditional Inuit way of life. Second, through the 25 technologies and applications developed for space that were re-used in space or adapted for use on Earth (or both) for the benefit of Canadians. For example, sensors developed to help dock payloads on the ISS were reused on Earth to guide autonomous vehicles in underground mines.

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

It is paramount that the Canadian space industry remains strong, healthy and agile to ensure it has the required readiness to respond to national demand, as well as the necessary competitiveness to secure an increased share of commercial and institutional markets worldwide. Only through innovation and continued R&D investments can Canada develop both the range of skills and the depth of knowledge necessary for its industry to remain a valued player in the international arena.

In the spring of 2021, the STDP awarded nine contracts totalling $10.3M over three years for the development of technologies for future space missions. The STDP also launched the next wave of investments for the concept studies and prototyping of cutting-edge technology for the next major Canadian infrastructure contributions to human spaceflight, in particular on the lunar surface. The publication of request for proposals for the development of EO technologies for future space missions was delayed to early 2022–23.

There is still a great deal to learn about the Moon, Earth's only natural satellite. Its uneven, pockmarked terrain — featuring highlands, ancient impact basins, and frigid polar regions — promises to reveal much to the researchers who dare to explore it. As part of a new chapter of lunar exploration, LEAP is positioning Canada's space sector to be actively involved in capturing their market share of the developing lunar economy.

The CSA awarded $1.8M over five years to two projects to shed light on the Moon's origin, composition, and structure while strengthening Canada's talent pool by training (HQP). The research aims to develop high‑resolution models of the Moon's surface, and tell us more about its internal structure and its volatile components — substances such as water and hydrogen that could be used to make rocket fuel, breathable air or drinking water, but which evaporate readily. By awarding a $200,000 grant for the analysis of ice samples (water being a volatile substance) from NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) rover using remote sensing, the CSA also supported the integration of Canadian expertise into the lunar science network.

Before setting foot on the Moon, it is essential to already have eyes and hands on the terrain, and rovers can help scientists learn more about the resources needed to establish a long-term presence on the Moon and send humans further into space. Canada is therefore designing its first lunar rover under the LEAP initiative to explore the lunar South Pole of the Moon within the next five years. Two concepts, designed by Canadian companies, were awarded $3.4M to test key technologies related to mobility and navigation, communications and thermal management, which are essential for tackling the significant technological challenge of surviving lunar polar nights that can reach a shivering − 250 °C, in pitch-black darkness. The Lunar Rover Mission, to be launched in partnership with NASA, will host at least two payloads, one Canadian and one American.

LEAP's support for integrating Canadian companies into the global lunar supply chain and developing their industrial capacities is generating tangible results for the Canadian economy. In May 2021, three Canadian companies announced that their technologies would be launched on the Japanese ispace's HAKUTO-R lunar lander. Scheduled to be tested on the Moon in 2022, all three payloads — an AI flight computer, a lightweight panoramic camera and a lunar navigation system — were funded by LEAP.

In collaboration with Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC), the CSA has developed four challenges addressed at SMEs to help them start, grow and get to market in a highly competitive environment. The challenge on the development of space exploration technologies has been revisited, evolving into three distinct challenges that will be launched in 2022–23. The awarding of contracts for the development of prototypes of the first challenge (on applying artificial intelligence and big-data analytics to space robotics) has been postponed due to the realignment of priorities to reflect industry needs in the context of the COVID‑19 pandemic.

The smartEarth Enabler track, a stream of the funding initiative that focuses on developing the downstream industry's capacity for the use of satellite data, supported 38 companies and organizations to develop new disruptive applications using EO data. These projects also aim to address sustainable development challenges on Earth, including those outlined in Canada's national strategy to respond to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The CSA continued to support the competitiveness and capacity of the Canadian space sector in the international market through the enduring Canada–ESA Cooperation Agreement. The investments in selected ESA programs announced by Canada during the ESA 2019 Ministerial Meeting continued to be implemented, allowing the Canadian industry to participate in world-class missions in EO, satellite communications, space exploration, and technology development areas.

The David Florida Laboratory (DFL) continued to perform assembly, integration and testing activities to support government space missions and commercial space programs, while conducting infrastructure improvements to maintain its uniqueness in Canada to provide testing solutions.

With these investments, the CSA seeks to ensure that the Canadian space sector develops value-added goods and services with a high impact on the value of Canada's exports, so as the Canadian space sector can capture new markets, foster economic growth, and be a driving force of innovation. As such, in 2021–22, the CSA's investments have contributed $1.9B in exports and maintained 6,902 highly qualified jobs in Canada.

Gender-based analysis plus

Reducing equality gaps requires measuring the impacts that policies, initiatives and programs have on systemic inequalities, and involves adopting sustainable practices to address them. Following the publication of the evaluation of the implementation of gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) at the CSA in September 2021, the CSA has issued a series of enhanced tools to guide GBA Plus assessments in contracts and contributions agreements to incentivise companies to include more underrepresent groups in STEM in their hiring plans. New survey questions have also been developed to improve the collection of gender and diversity information for the hundreds of small businesses, multinationals, not-for-profit organizations, research centres and universities participating in the Canadian Space Sector survey.

Barriers to participation can also be mitigated by organizing activities that specifically target underrepresented groups. Among the projects funded through the Awareness and Learning stream of the Grants and Contributions program are activities designed to engage youth from underrepresented groups including girls, indigenous and visible minority communities, as well as youth living in Northern regions.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

The effects of climate change on our planet, its ecosystems and its people are growing in extent and severity. Improving our knowledge of its processes and impacts is critical if today's actions are to create a sustainable tomorrow — and SEO is proving indispensable in helping us understand, adapt, fight, and fully implement the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for people, planet, prosperity and peace. Along with the 193 countries of the UN General Assembly, the CSA has answered the UN's urgent call for action by supporting and strengthening Canada's capacity to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The CSA's EO missions are an essential tool to observe climate change on a daily basis and strengthen the adaptive capacity to related hazards and natural disasters not only in Canada, but also across the globe. In addition to supporting over 60 applications and services to ensure sustainable food production systems (SDG 2.4), RCM supports the strengthening, of resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries (SDG 13.1) by providing timely and critical data through the International Charter "Space and Major Disasters.

SCISAT's data allowed Canada to monitor the ozone layer and honour its mandate under the Montreal Protocol, and for the discovery of the chemical composition of extreme fire smoke. The SWOT mission, scheduled for launch in 2022, is designed to improve our understanding of how lakes, rivers, reservoirs and oceans change over time, and will contribute to the responsible water resource development in Canada. WildFireSat seeks to provide responders with actionable information on air quality and emissions from wildfires (SDG 13.1).

The first version of the CSA's 2021–24 Open Science Action Plan was presented to the Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada on October 6, 2021. Contributing to the government's Roadmap for Open Science and its efforts to make federal science open to all, this plan lays out 10 actions to modernize space data governance and align policies and rules for SEO data through sustained collaboration with international and national partners. The launch of two applications on the CSA portal that enable the user to explore Alouette I and SCISAT data also contributed to enhancing access to science, technology and innovation and promote knowledge sharing (SDG 17.6).

Health and food-related initiatives conducted both on Earth and on the ISS are helping to find autonomous, sustainable healthcare and agricultural solutions here on Earth, especially in remote regions (SDG 3.8).

Initiatives such as LEAP and the STDP contribute to higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading, and innovation (SDG 8.2), and by supporting job creation, entrepreneurship, and innovation, contributing to sustainable economic growth (SDG 8.3).

Through its numerous activities targeted at youth, such as the Canadian CubeSat Project, the CSA contributed to increasing the number of youth and adults who pursue education and skills development (SDG 4.4). The project, which was designed to promote the social and economic inclusion of all, involves more than 500 post-secondary students, with a roughly equal gender split (SDG 10.2).

Experimentation

In spring 2021, the CSA held its first annual "From Ideas to Action to Innovation" (I²A) challenge, which was devoted to finding innovative solutions to manage and alleviate workload. From the pool of ideas proposed, two were selected by the Executive Committee. The possible avenues for the development and implementation of these ideas will be explored in 2022–23.

Key risks

In 2021–22, the CSA updated its Corporate Risk Profile and identified three key risks facing the organization related to talent, cybersecurity and innovation. Several measures were implemented to mitigate these risks, such as:

• developing a Strategic Workforce Management Plan to ensure the CSA is at the forefront of HR management;
• developing of a cybersecurity training program for employees; and
• integrating a new framework to manage innovative ideas at the CSA.

Results achieved

The following table shows, for Canada in space, the results achieved, the performance indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2021–22, and the actual results for the three most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the CSA's Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

The following table shows, for Canada in space, budgetary spending for 2021–22, as well as actual spending for that year.

The $38.1M negative variance is mainly due to procurement difficulties and delays in the awarding of contracts, primarily for the QEYSSat project, and a change in the scope of the WildFireSat project, which caused the rework of deliverables and mission requirements to meet the revised scope agreed with mission partners.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the CSA's Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents (FTEs), the human resources the department needed to fulfill this core responsibility for 2021–22.

The positive variance of 4.1 FTEs is mainly due to the hiring of additional staff to support space exploration initiatives such as Canadarm3, as well as an increase in the number of student internships during the year.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the CSA's Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.