The Canadian Space Agency reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004
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Canadian Space Agency

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The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is the government department responsible for Canada's space programme. It was established in March 1989 by the Canadian Space Agency Act and sanctioned in December 1990. The Chief Executive Officer of the agency is the President who reports to the Minister of Industry.

The headquarters of the CSA is located at John H. Chapman Space Centre in Saint-Hubert, Quebec. The agency also has offices in Ottawa, Canada at the David Florida Laboratory (which is mainly an engineering installation) and small liaison offices in Washington, D.C, Paris, France, Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Houston, Texas.

The agency is a relatively modest federal establishment, with only 575 employees and a rotating student population of about 100 interns or summer workers. Most of the staff is at the Chapman Centre.

Table of contents
1 Mission and mandate
2 See also
3 External links

Mission and mandate

Mission

The Canadian Space Agency's mission statement says that the agency is committed to leading the development and application of space knowledge for the benefit of Canadians and humanity.

To achieve this, the CSA attempts to promote an environment where all levels of the organization:

Mandate

The legislated mandate of the CSA, from the Canadian Space Agency Act, SC. 1990, c. 13, is:

"To promote the peaceful use and development of space, to advance the knowledge of space through science and to ensure that space science and technology provide social and economic benefits for Canadians".

Cooperation with other national agencies

The CSA has several formal and informal partnerships and collaborative programs or agreements with space agencies in other countries, such as NASA, ESA and the NASDA.

Since January 1st 1979, Canada has the special status of a cooperating state with the ESA, paying for the privilege and also investing in working time and providing scientific instruments which are placed on European probes. On June 21st 2000, the accord was renewed for a 4th period, this time for 10 years. By virtue of this accord Canada takes part in ESA deliberative bodies and decision-making and in ESA's programmes and activities. Canadian firms can bid for and receive contracts to work on programmes. The accord has a provision specifically ensuring a fair industrial return to Canada.

Human presence in space

See also

External links