Canada's space program, 1958–1989: A program without an agency

Abstract

Canada's space program began in 1958 with the work that led to the launch of Canada's first satellite, Alouette 1, in 1962. In 1967, two major reports on Canadian space research efforts called for a Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The Canadian government declined to set up an agency but chose instead in 1969 to establish an interdepartmental committee to coordinate Canada's space efforts. The CSA finally began operations on March 1, 1989. This paper will look at government documents, reports and statements about Canadian space efforts during this time to trace the efforts to establish a CSA. This paper will also examine the creation of the Interdepartmental Committee on Space in 1969. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Canadian government focused on satellites as a communications tool and as a means of encouraging high technology industry in Canada. After joining the US space shuttle program in the 1970s, Canada was invited in the 1980s to send astronauts into space and take part in the US space station program. Although the committee structure was awkward and inconvenient, Canada's space efforts during that time saw a high degree of political and economic success.