Tags:
, , , ,

Canada’s RADARSAT Constellation launch delayed

The launch of the Canadian Earth observation satellites (known collectively as the RADARSAT Constellation) has been delayed until February 2019. SpaceX originally planned to send the satellites up for ship location and Arctic observation in November.

Costs for the project have risen to over $1 billion from the original estimate of $600 million announced more than a decade ago, but MDA Corporation president Mike Greenley says the delay will not accumulate additional costs. SpaceX, the private space-launch venture headed by Elon Musk, will now deploy all three satellites at once instead of following the original plan of staggering launches over two years.

The new Constellation will replace the RADARSAT-2 satellite which has been in orbit and operating since 2007. The RADARSAT Constellation will be launched from SpaceX headquarters in a Falcon 9 rocket, but a date has yet to be set.

Related Articles

Canadian Geospatial Digest November 13, 2023

The prospect of space mining is growing more likely, and Canada may be a key player Black and grizzly bears…

Canadian Digest Aug 7

Canadian Geospatial Digest August 7th, 2023

The Arctic Observing Mission: Monitoring the Arctic in new and profound ways First Nations have new weapon in traditional land…

Canadian Geospatial Digest May 29, 2023

Canadian Geospatial Digest May 29th, 2023

Why are hazard maps still lacking in NWT communities? Alberta wildfires are depicted on a digital map in near real-time.…