Industry committee  Again, I'll ask my colleague to complement my answer, if necessary. There's no doubt, over a period of time since we've been dealing with MDA, that MDA itself as a company has matured, has created a number of capacities within itself to respond to the needs of the Canadian Spac

Industry committee  If the test of the question is whether or not the industry has the technical competencies and the financial strength to make this deal work, in the sense of putting up a next-generation satellite, which is far better in terms of its capacities than the previous satellite, I think

Industry committee  Thank you, Ms. Nash. This is not a question that as the president of the Canadian Space Agency I would be involved in. I would invite the committee, if it needs further clarification on that point, Mr. Chair, to seek a witness from the Department of Foreign Affairs or someone w

Industry committee  The fact of the matter is that we have not refused to participate. We are participating. As a matter of fact, we made an initial investment in understanding the proposal going forward, and there will be a decision that will have to be taken with regard to whether it's the ExoMars

Industry committee  We are currently reviewing the activities of the Canadian Space Agency writ large to try to identify, as I said in answer to an earlier question, a series of opportunities so that the government can be faced with a number of choices to make with regard to how we go forward in spa

Industry committee  No. The matter you're bringing to the attention of the committee is one of the policy framework around which those types of decisions will be taken. It would certainly be my experience in the 30-plus years I've been involved in policy matters in the government that this would be

Industry committee  I think that's a matter of policy that the government of the day judges depending on the various policy objectives they're trying to pursue. Yes, certainly it would weigh within the decision of the government to go forward. I don't think there's a black and white statement across

Industry committee  Firstly, the amount in question is not $435 million, but $445 million, although not any more than that—I would not want to exaggerate. We have $445 million in credit. It stems from a service contract that we signed with MDA when the federal government contributed, through the Can

Industry committee  Firstly, Mr. Vincent, allow me to assure you that the $445 million has not just appeared out of nowhere. It dates back to the original contract and the amendments to that contract. It goes back to the late 1990s and the years that followed.

Industry committee  With regard to the second part of your question, which was looking to future contracts, it is really something that you would have to ask the government, as it is the government that approves the projects in which the Canadian Space Agency becomes involved. If changes were to be

Industry committee  No, but I will ask Mr. Brûlé to give you some more detail on that.

Industry committee  Thank you for both of those questions. With regard to the first, the impact of the sale in terms of the business of the Canadian Space Agency again will depend on the nature of the entity that's put in place by MDA at the time. The Canadian Space Agency will have need, essential

Industry committee  I apologize to the committee, but this is a question that the president of the Canadian Space Agency is not in a position to answer for you. These are questions of the licensing of the satellite and what the implications are. It's highly speculative in terms of determining how th

Industry committee  First of all, the technology, as I mentioned earlier, along with the satellite itself is already the property of MDA. The issue at hand is a transaction that needs a series of approvals from various bodies.

Industry committee  Again, the technology is the property of MDA. And with regard to the outcome, the transaction at the end of the day, whether or not there's an effect on the credibility of the Canadian Space Agency I would submit to you depends on how we, at the Canadian agency, continue to do ou