Vanguard Magazine

24 DECEMBER 2022/JANUARY 2023 www.vanguardcanada.com ily a funder to an active (and influential) customer of space systems and services. The Strategy refers to an "own, collabo- rate or access" framework based on assess- ments of what capabilities must be owned on a sovereign basis, which can be secured via collaboration with partners and allies and those that can be accessed through the commercial sector. The subsequent 2022 Defence Space Strategy: Operationalising the Space Do- main outlines a vision for how the Ministry of Defence will fulfil the stated goal to pro- tect and defend the U.K.'s national inter- ests in and through space. It discusses the U.K.'s reliance on space systems for critical civil, commercial and national security ser- vices and speaks to the increasingly com- petitive, hazardous and potentially threat- ening character of space as an operational domain. Significant emphasis is placed on the need to preserve strategic advantage in space through interoperability and bur- den-sharing in support of allied efforts in space, including preventing conflict, deter- ring escalation, optimizing resource usage and enhancing mission assurance. Australia In 2018, the newly created Australian Space Agency released a robust civil space strate- gy, Advancing Space: Australian Civil Space Strategy 2019-2028. The strategy outlines a staged plan of meeting the government's economic goals in the space sector. It aims to triple the size of the Australian space sec- tor and create up to 20,000 jobs by 2030, while targeting dual-use capabilities that could be leveraged across government. In mid-March of 2022, the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) released Australia's Defence Space Strategy, which describes the strategic context of the space environment and articulates a set of objec- tives to realize a vision of Australia as an in- tegrated space power by 2040. The Strat- egy identifies five lines of effort broadly intended to assure access to space; inte- grate delivery of military effects across the whole of government; increase national understanding of critical space dependen- cies; pursue sovereign space capabilities and develop a national space enterprise; and facilitate sustainable and effective use of the space domain. Similar to Canada, Australia's competitive advantage and sov- ereign capabilities in space domain aware- ness could contribute to burden-sharing in multilateral efforts, reducing dependence, retaining relevance and ensuring interop- erability. United States The 2020 National Space Policy of the United States of America presents a uni- fied intergovernmental approach, including guiding principles, goals, cross-sector and sector-specific directives as they relate to civil, commercial and national security ele- ments of U.S. space policy. The 2020 U.S. Defense Space Strategy Summary, build- ing upon the established national security sector guidelines and in recognition of a global security environment characterized by renewed great-power competition, seeks to enable the DoD to achieve its desired conditions in space. While the U.S. case represents ambitions and efforts beyond Canada's reach, it does provide an effective template of a comprehensive nation-wide approach to articulating and realizing the importance of space and access to it. Conclusion It is undeniable that Canadian society is critically dependent on space-based sys- tems for an increasingly wide range of daily activities. It is also clear that space- based systems are vulnerable to disruption, degradation and destruction, whether by an accidental collision in space or by de- liberate targeting of space-based systems. Although most nations can increasingly access space systems, large, complex proj- ects are too expensive for most nations to go it alone. However, interoperability and burden-sharing initiatives among partners and allies enable nations to concentrate investment on developing niche capabili- ties. Canada is known today for excellence in certain space-based technologies while new niche competencies may be realized when the Canadian space enterprise, con- sisting of civil, commercial and national security activities, is finally harmonized. Creating a carefully considered and well- connected Canadian space enterprise re- quires overarching national governance and direction. If a clear vision, strategy and policy are articulated, funding will follow and breathe life into the words of Strong, Secure, Engaged for defence and Exploration, Imagination, Innovation for civil space. It will, for the first time, pro- vide focus for the Canadian space industry and result in a much more co-ordinated approach to achieving the initiatives cur- rently identified in departmentally focused space strategies. References: 1. Anusuya Datta, "Modern Civilization Would Be Lost Without GPS," Space News, August 3, 2021, https:// spacenews.com/modern-civilization- would-be-lost-without-gps/. "This 2019 report sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology estimated the loss of GPS would cost the U.S. economy $1 billion a day, or $1.5 billion if the technology failed in the April-May planting season for farmers." 2. Related to the notion of dual-use technology applications, in this con- text multi-use refers to the end uses of space systems, classified as civil, commercial and/or national security. 3. Space Strategies Consulting Ltd. (SSCL), "2022 Independent Review of the Remote Sensing Space Systems Act (RSSSA)," Parliament of Canada, House of Commons, Sessional Paper No. 8560-441-1062-01, Tabled March 21, 2022, 2022 Independent Review of the Remote Sensing Space Systems Act (RSSSA) (international. gc.ca). 4. Similar to the national space councils recently established in the United States and United Kingdom. Space Strategies Consulting Limited (SSCL) is a team of space professionals seeking to bring clients a deep understanding of the complexities of space operations across the entire spectrum of users from commercial, civil and national security stakeholders. The organization's mission is to bring forward innovative solutions and disruptive capabilities for the most pressing challenges in aerospace, near-space and space domains for various applications. www.sscl.solutions Reprinted with permission, The Canadian Global Affairs Institute, June 2022 SPACE Deployment of the SWOT satellite's solar arrays during a test in January 2022 at the Thales Alenia Space laboratories in France. (Credit: CNES/Thales Alenia Space)

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