Issue No. 4, Spring 2003

Every fourth issue of the Online Journal of Space Communication will be devoted to the contributions a specific country or region has made (or is making) to the development of satellite and space communication.

Issue No. 4 puts a spotlight on CANADA. After the USSR and the USA, Canada was the third country in the world to have its own satellite and the first to operate a commercial domestic satellite (Anik) from geostationary orbit.

Canada has been a world class innovator in space platform development and an R&D leader in telecommunications and broadcast applications. Canada was among the first to open the Ku-frequency bands for commercial use, paving the way for two-way data (VSAT) networks and compressed digital video broadcast from space.

In 2001, Guest Editor W.M. (Mac) Evans retired from the Public Service of Canada. He served as President of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) for seven years and was responsible for the 1985, 1994 and 1999 Space Plans for Canada. He received NASA's Distinguished Public Service Medal in recognition of his efforts in support of US/Canadian cooperation in space. In 2003, Mr. Evans was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Society of Satellite Professionals International.

If, after viewing the contents of this issue, you find that you have research or perspectives to share concerning the role Canada has played in the development of space and satellite communication and would like to make a contribution, please do so by sending an e-mail to the Guest Editor at the following address:

W.M. (Mac) Evans
8 Halldorson Crescent
Kanata, Ontario
K2K 2C4
Canada
Email: mac.evans@sympatico.ca