ed operational lifespan, more commonly
referred to as a satellite's design life. Gen-
erally speaking, EO satellites like RCM are
currently designed with a 7-year design
life. With this in mind, RCM is expected
to operate to 2026.
The Defence Enhanced Surveillance
From Space Project (DESSP) is the De-
partment of National Defence (DND)/
CAF replacement plan which builds on
the current DND capabilities provided
by RCM. The planned constellation is in-
tended to significantly expand Canada's
ISR capabilities and will provide DND
with a dedicated EO constellation that
will meet its expanding operational needs.
Planned improvements include the ability
to differentiate between ships and icebergs
in the Arctic, increased satellite revisit
rates over key areas which provides for im-
proved tracking and enhanced coherent
change detection capabilities, as well as in-
creased ISR support to CAF expeditionary
operations around the world.
As a starting point, DESSP will continue
to employ space-based Synthetic Aper-
ture Radar (SAR) and Automatic Iden-
tification System (AIR) data, which have
proven very effective for surveillance of
the maritime domain. SAR can detect ob-
SPACE
www.vanguardcanada.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 13
jects day and night and is not affected by
cloud cover. Other requirements include
Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) and
Hyperspectral Imaging (HIS) capabili-
ties. Electro Optical systems can provide
high-resolution photographs of the earth.
Commercially available data is available at
resolutions of up to 30 cm. However, they
cannot image at night or in clouds. Infra-
red imagery has traditionally been used in
weather forecasting however, detecting
heat sources at night has intrinsic military
value. Images collected with hyperspectral
sensors provide wide-area survey capabili-
ties that can detect ground disturbances,
RADARSAT Constellation Mission. Photo: Canadian Space Agency
