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3.3.4) Status Report on Major Crown/Transformational Projects
RADARSAT-2
The RADARSAT-2 Major Crown Project (MCP) activities ended during the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The Major Crown Project closure submission received Treasury Board approval in May 2010. This concludes reporting on this MCP.
| Program | Current Estimated Total Expenditure |
Forecast to March 31, 2010 |
Planned Spending 2010-2011 |
Future Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RADARSAT-2 | 417.7 | 417.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
The summative evaluation of the RADARSAT-2 Major Crown Project (MCP) was completed in 2009. To learn more about it, go to: www.asc-csa.gc.ca/pdf/mcp-5702-7823.pdf
RADARSAT Constellation
1- Description
The RADARSAT Constellation is the follow-on to RADARSAT-1 and 2. RADARSAT-1 was launched in 1995 and is still operating. RADARSAT-2, developed in partnership with the private sector, was launched in 2007 for a seven-year mission. Canada has established itself as a leading global supplier of C-band satellite radar data. The RADARSAT Constellation will enhance this leadership and position Canadian industry in technology and value-added product markets.
The RADARSAT Constellation is designed as a scalable constellation of three small satellites. The satellites will be launched in 2015 and 2016. With a constellation, the time between successive imaging of the same part of the Earth (revisit time) is significantly reduced. The creation of a three-satellite constellation will increase the frequency of available information, as well as the reliability of the system, making it better suited to operational requirements of Departments. In the event of a satellite failure, the other satellites can continue to provide a reduced level of service. The lower cost of satellites facilitates the replacement of individual satellites and makes the system scalable.
The scope of the RADARSAT Constellation MCP includes the design, development manufacture, integration, test and launch of the satellites plus the design, development, manufacture and installation of the associated ground segment. One year of operation of the 3-satellite constellation is also included as well as an applications development program.
The RADARSAT Constellation will provide all-weather day and night data in support of three main user areas: maritime surveillance, disaster management and ecosystem monitoring. The three satellite constellation provides average daily coverage of most of Canada and its surrounding waters. Coverage increases significantly in Canada’s North. The constellation will provide coverage two to three times daily of the Northwest Passage.
In support of maritime surveillance requirements of Environment Canada, Department of National Defence, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada, the RADARSAT Constellation is the principal data source envisaged for wide area surveillance of Canada’s remote areas and marine approaches. Only satellite data can offer regular cost effective coverage to task ships and aircraft to intercept suspect vessels. The daily coverage of marine areas will also support fisheries monitoring, ice and iceberg monitoring, pollution monitoring and integrated ocean and coastal zone management.
In support of disaster management, both in Canada and globally, the RADARSAT Constellation can provide high resolution, all-weather (3 m) imagery of most places in the world on a daily basis. This data is critical to disaster mitigation, warning, response and recovery. Disaster types supported include flood monitoring and relief, oil spills, changes in the permafrost in northern Canada, volcano and earthquake warning and hurricane monitoring.
In support of ecosystem monitoring of Natural Resources Canada, Environment Canada, Parks Canada and Agriculture and Agri-foods Canada, the RADARSAT Constellation will be a critical source of information for agriculture, forestry and wildlife habitat. The Constellation will also provide medium resolution data for wide area change detection, supporting water quantity monitoring, wetlands mapping and coastal change monitoring.
In addition, the RADARSAT Constellation develops Canadian high technology design and manufacturing capabilities and the integration of satellite data into information products and services. Canada’s space and geomatics industries will benefit from increased positioning on international markets and privileged access to data essential to many international users.
The RADARSAT Constellation will provide C-band SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) data continuity to existing RADARSAT users, including the Canadian Ice Service, which relies on SAR data to support safe shipping in Canada.
Leading and participating Departments and Agencies
| Sponsoring Agency: | Canadian Space Agency |
|---|---|
| Contracting Authority: | Public Works and Government Services Canada |
| Participating Departments: | Natural Resources Canada Environment Canada National Defence Foreign Affairs and International Trade Industry Canada Fisheries and Oceans Agriculture and Agri-foods Canada Transport Canada Public Security Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Parks Canada |
Prime and Major Sub-Contractors
| Prime Contractor: | MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA), Richmond, British Columbia |
|---|---|
| Major Sub-Contractors: |
|
Major Milestones
The major milestones on Major Crown Project, by phase, are the following:
| Phase | Major Milestones | Date |
|---|---|---|
| A | Requirement Definition | March 2009 |
| B | Preliminary Design | March 2010 |
| C | Detailed Design | January 2012 |
| D | Launch satellite #1 Launch satellite #2 and #3 |
July 2015 November 2016 |
| E1 | Operations (part of MCP) | to March 2018 |
| E2 | Operations (not part of MCP) | 2018 to 2024 |
Progress Report and Explanation of Variances
On December 13, 2004, the Domestic Affairs Committee of Cabinet granted approval-in-principle to a ten-year, $600 million program to implement a RADARSAT Constellation aimed at addressing user needs in relation to Canadian sovereignty and marine surveillance, environmental monitoring and change detection, and disaster management. The RADARSAT Constellation is to be government-owned and operated.
In Budget 2005, the CSA was provided with an additional $110.9 million over five years (2005-2006 to 2009-2010). Combined with a further $89.1 million from the CSA’s reference levels, a total of $200 million was identified for CSA to work with the Canadian space industry on the development of the next generation of advanced radar remote sensing satellites. This funding covers Phases A (Initial Planning and Identification Phase) through C (Detailed Definition Phase) of the RADARSAT Constellation Project, but is insufficient for building and operating the satellites.
On June 6, 2005, Treasury Board granted Preliminary Project Approval (PPA) for the RADARSAT Constellation and expenditure authority for the Project Initial Planning and Identification Phase A at a substantive cost estimate of $13 million (excluding GST). Phase A sought to finalize feasibility studies, define user requirements, payload and bus options for the mission, and reduce technology risks for the antenna, transmit/receive modules, and sensor electronics.
The Phase A work started in July 2005 and was completed in December 2006. Phase A was then extended to allow additional technical risk reduction activities to continue during the period prior to the Phase B contract award. This was completed in March 2008.
A revised PPA (Preliminary Project Approval) Treasury Board Submission to proceed to Phases B and C was approved in March 2007. In December 2006, Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) initiated a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process to identify a prime contractor for the RADARSAT Constellation project (i.e., for Phases B/C/D of the space segment and a portion of the ground segment) and negotiate a contract for Phases B and C with the winning prime contractor, MDA. In September 2008, PWGSC obtained authority to enter into a contract with MDA. Negotiations for Phase B were completed in October 2008 and the contract for Phase B was awarded to MDA in November 2008. Phase B was completed in March 2010. The contract for Phase B was amended to include the scope of Phase C which will continue to January 2012.
As amended, PPA was approved by Treasury Board in December 2010 to provide authorization of $96 million for the procurement of Long Lead Items and $5 million for the AIS Technology Demonstration.
The contract for Phase D would follow successful completion of Phases B and C, obtaining the necessary funding and the granting of Effective Project Approval (EPA) from Treasury Board.
Industrial Benefits
Significant industrial benefits in the space and Earth observation sectors are expected from the RADARSAT Constellation program. It is expected to generate employment growth in the Canadian knowledge-based economy and spur the growth of small and medium-sized businesses as the Canadian infrastructure and services industry continues to grow. As of January 31, 2011, the CSA has funded close to $82 million worth of work to Canadian industry directly attributable to the RADARSAT Constellation Major Crown Project.
Regarding the Canadian content and the distribution of contracts within Canada, the prime contract includes a requirement for 70% Canadian content, excluding launch services, and the Prime contractor is required to apply CSA’s overall regional distribution targets on a “best efforts” basis. In addition, considering the past difficulty in achieving the targets in Atlantic Canada, a minimum requirement of 3.5% of the 70% Canadian content has been set for that region. The prime contract includes reporting obligations and performance measures as well as financial penalties for not meeting the minimum Atlantic Canada content. CSA works closely with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) to monitor regional distribution achievements and to support the prime contractor in the delivery of the given targets.
| British Columbia | Prairies | Ontario | Quebec | Atlantic Provinces | Total Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Targets | 10% | 10% | 35% | 35% | 10% (3.5% min.)* |
100% |
| Actuals % | 29.2% | 11.8% | 20.9% | 35.5% | 2.6%* | 100% |
| Actuals $ | $23.90 | $9.63 | $17.06 | $29.05 | $2.10 | $81.75 |
* The absolute Canadian Content requirement for the Atlantic Canada Region is of 2.45% of the total contract value (3.5% of the 70% Canadian Content Requirement. As of January 2011 this contractual requirement has been met since 2.6% of the total contract value has been achieved in the Atlantic Canada region. This 2.6% corresponds to 3.71% of the 70% Canadian Content Requirement.
| Program | Current Estimated Total Expenditure | Actuals at March 31, 2011 | Future Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| RADARSAT Constellation | 286.6 | 122.2 | 164.4 |
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
1-Description
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a joint mission of NASA, ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency. The mission concept is for a large filled-aperture telescope located 1.5 million km from Earth. Like Hubble, the JWST will be used by the astronomy community to observe targets that range from objects within our Solar System to the most remote galaxies, which are seen during their formation in the early universe. The science mission is centered on the quest to understand our origins, and specifically aimed at:
-
Observing the very first generation of stars to illuminate the dark universe when it was less than a billion years old.
-
Understanding the physical processes that have controlled the evolution of galaxies over cosmic time, and, in particular, identifying the processes that led to the assembly of galaxies within the first 4 billion years after the Big Bang.
-
Understanding the physical processes that control the formation and early evolution of stars in our own and other nearby galaxies.
-
Studying the formation and early evolution of proto-planetary disks, and characterizing the atmospheres of isolated planetary mass objects.
The JWST was scheduled for launch in 2014 (the launch date is currently under review by NASA). JWST instruments will be designed to work primarily in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum, with some capability in the visible range. JWST will have a large mirror, 6.5 meters in diameter and a sunshield the size of a tennis court that will both fold up and open once in outer space.
Canada is providing the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) and Tuneable Filter Imager (TFI). The FGS is integral to the attitude control system of JWST, and consists of two fully redundant cameras that will report precise pointing information of JWST. Canadian expertise in this area has been established with the successful fine error sensors for the FUSE mission. Packaged with the FGS but functionally independent, the Tuneable Filter Imager is a unique, narrow-band camera with imaging capability. For example, it will allow astronomers to search for extrasolar planets through a technique called coronography, which means that the light from a star will be blocked out so that astronomers can see what is in the star's neighbourhood.
The JWST-FGS Major Crown Project, in partnership with COM DEV Canada, consists of the design, development, integration and testing and integration into the spacecraft, launch and commissioning of the Fine Guidance Sensor and Tunable Filter Imager.
By participating in this leading-edge international space exploration mission, the Canadian Space Agency is actively promoting Canadian scientific expertise and innovative, advanced space technologies. The National Research Council's Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics is a key Government of Canada partner for activities related to the development of science instruments and distribution of telescope data.
In return for its overall investment in the JWST, Canada will obtain a minimum of 5% of the time on this unique space telescope. Already, the news of Canada's involvement in this international space exploration mission is inspiring youth, educators and amateur astronomers, and rallying members of Canada's world-renowned astrophysics community.
Leading and Participating Departments and Agencies
| Sponsoring Agency: | Canadian Space Agency |
|---|---|
| Contracting Authority: | Public Works and Government Services Canada for the Canadian Space Agency |
| Participating Departments: | NRC’s Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics Industry Canada |
Prime and Major Sub-Contractors
| Prime Contractor: | COM DEV Canada, Ottawa, Ontario |
|---|---|
| Major Sub-Contractors: |
|
Major Milestones
The major milestones, by phase, are the following:
| Phase | Major Milestones | Date |
|---|---|---|
| A | Requirement Definition | 2003-2004 |
| B | Preliminary Design | August 2004 to May 2005 |
| C | Detailed Design | July 2005 to September 2008 |
| D | Manufacturing/Assembly; Integration/Testing; Pre-launch preparations, Launch/System Commissioning | May 2007 to 2019 (Launch date is under review by NASA) |
| E | Operations | 2019 to 2024 |
Note: The Major Crown Project terminates with the completion of Phase D.
Progress Report and Explanation of Variances
In March 2004, Treasury Board gave Preliminary Project Approval for Phases B, C and D at an indicative cost of $67.2 million. In December 2006, before the completion of the detailed design of the FGS, the CSA requested increased expenditure authority to complete the project. Treasury Board granted Effective Project Approval for a substantive total cost estimate of $98.4 million in February 2007 with the condition "that the Canadian Space Agency provide reports to Treasury Board at the completion of Phases C and D of the JWST project which include up-to-date information on the project scope, costs, schedule and risks". At the same time, the project became a Major Crown Project.
The first Critical Design Review (CDR), held in March 2007, for the guider function of the FGS, did reveal some technical issues, which required additional effort to resolve. This Review took place after the Effective Project Approval (EPA) received in February 2007. After this first CDR, with the focus now turning toward the preparation of the system level CDR, new issues became apparent requiring additional analysis. Testing of the Tunable Filter Imager prototype also revealed technical issues that needed to be addressed.
During this transition between the completion of the detailed design phase (Phase C) and the initiation of the manufacturing phase (Phase D) the project faced the prospect of a significant cost growth and therefore required the CSA to return to Treasury Board to amend its Effective Project Approval (EPA) for the JWST Major Crown Project. The current estimated total cost for the Definition and Implementation phases is now $134.7 million (excluding contingency). On December 2007, Treasury Board granted a revised Effective Project Approval. Manufacturing, integration and test of the FGS will be completed during Fiscal Year 2010-2011.
Over the last period, the project has been very busy with the hardware and software development. COM DEV Canada, the prime contractor for the JWST Fine Guider Sensor (FGS) project, has been working on the FGS Engineering Test Unit (ETU) and Proto Flight Model (PFM).
After a successful environment test campaign replicating the conditions of the launch, transition to its operation site and operations the ETU was delivered to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in September 2010.
On the PFM side, COM DEV Canada has successfully completed the optical alignment of the Guider and TFI at cryogenic temperature and is completing the final integration of all the components before proceeding with the environmental test campaign. One key element of the TFI instrument is still under development and must be completed before entering into the environment test campaign. The PFM is planned to be delivered to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center by the end of 2011 or early 2012.
Industrial Benefits
As of March 31, 2011, the CSA has funded close to $104 million worth of work to Canadian industry directly attributable to the JWST-FGS Major Crown Project. Direct industrial benefits from the construction of the JWST-FGS and TFI system will benefit central regions of Canada. Although there is no regional distribution requirement for this project, the following table provides an approximate distribution:
| Ontario | Quebec | Atlantic Provinces | Total Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actuals % | 89.7% | 8.5% | 1.7% | 100% |
| Actuals $ | $93.20 | $8.90 | $1.80 | $103.9 |
| Program | Current Estimated Total Expenditure |
Actuals at March 31, 2011 |
Future Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| JWST-FGS and TFI | 147.5 | 136.5 | 11.0 |
