Page 33 - International Space Station Benefits for Humanity, 3rd edition.

International Space Station Partner Perspectives

The following perspectives were provided by the international partner organizations as well as the ISS
U.S. National Laboratory. Themes captured in the NASA perspective are taken from the ISS Transition
report presented to congress in March 2018.
The ISS is at an important juncture in its history. Benefits of research and technology development
(R&D) activities, in terms of economic growth and quality-of-life improvements, are emerging.
At the same time, the apparatus and policy frameworks put in place to drive low-Earth orbit (LEO)
market innovation are beginning to gain traction. New companies are stepping forward to test their
understanding of space and how that environment can further their business interests. However, while
a space-based economy appears to be developing, more time is required to realize the full benefits of
the ISS and for a truly self-sustaining marketplace to mature. In the partner perspectives that follow, it
is apparent that the ISS partners recognize this reality and continue to support ISS research endeavors
and commercialization goals for the foreseeable future.

Canadian Space Agency
Canadians understand that bold, ambitious goals in Canadians understand that bold,
space are powerful drivers of innovation and economic
growth, and that space has the power to unite and ambitious goals in space are
inspire. Our experience in space started with a vision powerful drivers of innovation and
and imperative to connect all Canadians across a vast
territory. To achieve this, Canada became the third economic growth, and that space
country to have a satellite in space with Alouette 1 in has the power to unite and inspire.
1962. Ten years later, Anik A became the world’s first
domestic communications satellite system to use
a geosynchronous orbit. This demonstrated how
sustained efforts and investments in space lead
to major advancements in our daily lives, on a
national scale. our leading-edge space robotic expertise to build
an emblematic contribution for the ISS: the Mobile
Witnessing the first humans in space spurred Servicing System, comprised of the Mobile Base,
Canadians’ imagination, drive for exploration and Canadarm2 and Dextre. This sophisticated system
ingenuity. The development of the original Canadarm was instrumental in assembling the space station,
for the space shuttle proved to be a transformative module by module. Today, Canada continues to
project that captivated the public and inspired national perform essential robotic maintenance and operations
pride in our country’s technological achievements. on the ISS and contribute to the advancement of
In return, Canadian astronauts were able to fly onboard science by conducting groundbreaking research
the space shuttle and perform science experiments in onboard. On that front, our efforts are strategically
microgravity. Their example motivated a generation of focused on human research to enable longer
young Canadians to aspire to bold dreams, push their human spaceflight in deep space while maximizing
limits, embrace science, technology, engineering and terrestrial benefits.
mathematics (STEM) and pursue space endeavors.
The ISS Program is a success story of international
Building on this heritage, Canada joined the ISS collaboration. For Canada, returns on investments in
Program in 1988. This formidable enterprise resonated space exploration are incommensurable. Traditional
with our country’s experience, culture and core values. economic measures fail to fully quantify the benefits,
It represented an expansion, on a global scale, of our which unfold over decades and permeate across
foundational aspirations for space exploration—to multiple sectors of activity and value chains. However,
unite, inspire and catalyze scientific and technological traditional economic indicators such as export
prowess for the benefit of everyone. It mobilized revenues, number of jobs in the space sector, and

19