National Space Awareness Workshop 2012

NSAW 2012
The Canadian Alumni of the International Space University (CAISU) is organizing the National Space Awareness Workshop (NSAW) to promote space awareness. In commemoration of the successful launching of Canada's first satellite 50 years ago, the Alouette, the NSAW 2012 theme will be focus on some of the most successful Canadian aerospace achievements since then along with those expected to in the future.

          Highlights will be presented by media personalities, professionals and educators involved within the space industry. A workshop will provide participants a forum to engage in discussion gaining comprehensive awareness of Canadian role in the global space sector along with its successes. The objective of the workshop is to provide participants with:

          •   An increased awareness of Canada's successes in the space technology

          •   A strengthened understanding of Canada's current role and future direction within the sector

          •   A unique networking opportunity with leaders in the industry

By Ken Sinclair
50 years have passed since the launch of the Alouette 1 satellite. Since then, Canada has had a long and widespread involvement in the space sector. Our space community is moderately sized and maintains a small but thriving group of space companies. These companies show strong leadership in niche areas throughout the sector. Canadian universities are also deeply involved in the sector some building their own satellites, instruments and more that a dozen involved in space science.

Notable achievements throughout the past half century include:
in 1962, Canada became the third nation to build and successfully launch a satellite into orbit. The Alouette 1 objective was to study the ionosphere in support of Canada's interest in studying the upper atmosphere. In 1972, Canada launched the Anik 1 satellite, which was the worlds first geostationary communications satellite. Another great milestone came in 1981 on the US Space Shuttle Columbia. This was the first mission to use the famous CANADARM, which over the years has played a key role in shuttle missions as well as the international space station. 1983 marked the commencement of the Canadian Astronaut Program as a joint program with the US for participation in shuttle and space station missions.