October 2, 2009 - Canadian Space Agency Launches New Satellite Research Program

On October 2, 2009, the Canadian Space Agency announced a new satellite research program, leading to the November 2, 2009 launch of two satellites — Proba-2 and SMOS — from Russia's Plesetsk Cosmodrome. You can trace Canada's involvement through its ESA partnership, with the CSA investing roughly $7.5 million across both missions. Both satellites are still active and delivering valuable data today. There's much more to this story than the launch date alone.

Key Takeaways

• On October 2, 2009, the Canadian Space Agency announced a new satellite research program expanding Canada's existing space capabilities.
• Two satellites, Proba-2 and SMOS, launched November 2, 2009, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia, aboard a Russian Rockot vehicle.
• The CSA invested approximately $7.5 million, integrating Canadian technology into both missions through ESA partnerships.
• Proba-2 focuses on solar observations and space weather monitoring, protecting communications and electrical infrastructure on Earth.
• SMOS maps global sea surface salinity, monitors soil moisture, and supports cryosphere research over snow- and ice-covered regions.

What Did the CSA Launch on November 2, 2009?

On November 2, 2009, the Canadian Space Agency helped launch two satellites—Proba-2 and SMOS—from Russia's Plesetsk Cosmodrome aboard a Russian rocket. Through strong launch partnerships with ESA, Canada integrated its technology into both missions.

Proba-2 focuses on solar observations and spacecraft technology demonstration, while SMOS maps global sea surface salinity and monitors soil moisture worldwide. You can see how Canadian contributions strengthened both satellites' capabilities, supporting everything from space weather monitoring to understanding Earth's water cycle.

SMOS also gathers data over snow and ice-covered regions, advancing cryosphere research. Both satellites remain active today, continuing to deliver valuable data. These missions highlight how Canada's collaboration with ESA pushes forward meaningful scientific discovery and technology validation in orbit. Understanding space weather effects could help protect communications and electrical infrastructure both on Earth and in orbit.

The Canadian Space Agency invested approximately $7.5 million in these missions, reflecting Canada's deep commitment to advancing Earth observation and space technology through international cooperation.

What Was Canada Doing in Space Before Proba-2?

Canada's contributions to the Proba-2 and SMOS missions didn't emerge from nowhere—they reflect decades of space activity dating back to the end of World War II. Through early rocketry research and upper atmosphere studies, Canada built foundational expertise that shaped its space identity. By 1962, Canada became the third country to have a satellite in orbit with Alouette 1.

The Canadarm followed in 1981, exceeding NASA's expectations aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. Then came the astronaut program in 1983, placing Canadians like Marc Garneau aboard American shuttles and later contributing to Neurolab research.

The CSA formally launched in 1990, consolidating these efforts. You can see how each milestone built on the last, creating the collaborative expertise Canada brings to missions like Proba-2 today. In 1972, Anik A-1 established the first domestic geostationary communication satellite network for Canada, demonstrating the country's growing ambitions beyond Earth observation alone.

In 1995, Canada launched RADARSAT-1, its first Earth observation satellite capable of capturing radar imagery in all weather conditions and at any time of day or night.

What Technologies Made RADARSAT-2 and Proba-2 Possible?

Behind every successful satellite mission lies a foundation of enabling technologies, and RADARSAT-2 and Proba-2 are no exception. RADARSAT-2's active phased arrays replaced passive waveguide antennas, giving engineers independent control over transmit and receive phases across 512 T/R modules. That shift liberated two-dimensional beamforming and beamsteering across more than 200 available beams.

Polarization diversity proved equally transformative. RADARSAT-2 captures full HH, VV, HV, and VH polarizations with isolation better than 25 dB, markedly enriching data analysis compared to earlier missions. Combined with variable RF bandwidths ranging from 11.6 to 100 MHz and spatial resolutions down to 3 meters, these innovations delivered far greater imaging precision. You can trace much of RADARSAT-2's operational flexibility directly to these core technological advances working together.

The mission's imaging versatility was further anchored by its orbit design, with RADARSAT-2 operating from a sun-synchronous polar orbit at a mean altitude of 798 km and a 24-day repeat cycle of 343 orbits, providing the stable, predictable ground-track repeatability essential for interferometric and tandem operations with RADARSAT-1. Onboard data handling was supported by solid-state recorders for storage, alongside a high-precision attitude control system and an on-board GPS receiver that together ensured accurate positioning and reliable data capture throughout each pass.

How Did RADARSAT-2 and Proba-2 Advance Canada's Earth Observation Goals?

Those technological breakthroughs didn't exist in a vacuum—they powered real-world outcomes that reshaped how Canada monitors and manages its planet. RADARSAT-2 strengthened environmental monitoring by tracking soil moisture, mapping wetlands, updating forest inventories, and detecting oil spills along coastlines. Its ultra-fine 3-meter resolution captured detailed tidal zones and near-shore waters, while its all-weather capability delivered over 30,000 images yearly. During crises, its disaster response role proved critical—you'd see near real-time flood mapping, landslide risk assessment, and rescue coordination happening faster than ever before. RADARSAT-2 data has also played a vital role in monitoring Italian volcanoes, helping to bridge critical observation gaps in regions where ground-based systems alone are insufficient.

Meanwhile, Proba-2 expanded Canada's reach beyond Earth, capturing solar corona imagery and tracking space weather events affecting the planet. Launched on November 2, 2009, aboard a Rockot vehicle from Plesetsk, Russia, Proba-2 operated from a sun-synchronous orbit at approximately 725 km altitude, enabling consistent solar observation coverage throughout its mission. Satellite imaging has also proven valuable for monitoring coastal environments like Ireland's western edge, where the Cliffs of Moher and surrounding Atlantic-facing terrain present challenges for traditional ground-based observation methods. Together, both satellites moved Canada's observation ambitions from data collection into decisive, life-protecting action.

Why Canada's 2009 Satellite Missions Still Matter Today

The legacy of Canada's 2009 satellite missions isn't just historical—it's actively shaping how the country monitors its environment, responds to disasters, and operates in space today.

When you look at SCISAT's continued Arctic data collection, you're seeing long term monitoring that directly feeds climate policy influence at both national and international levels.

RADARSAT Constellation, funded partly through 2009 budget commitments, now delivers real-time maritime surveillance and disaster response data across Canada's coastlines.

COSPAS-SARSAT remains a cornerstone of global search-and-rescue operations, still saving lives in 2026.

The Canadarm2 and Mobile Base System continue supporting ISS maintenance. Canada shares a unique geographic relationship with Russia, its neighbor across the Arctic, whose border with Kazakhstan spans over 4,700 miles, making it the longest continuous land border in the world.

These missions didn't just produce short-term results—they built infrastructure, expertise, and data pipelines that Canada's scientific and policy communities still rely on every day. Notably, Canada's space history stretches back to the 1960s, when Alouette 1 became the first satellite constructed by a country other than the USSR or the United States. Canada's contributions have also extended to international environmental monitoring, with the MOPITT instrument aboard Terra providing long-term pollution monitoring of carbon monoxide levels since 1999.