The Canadian Department of National Defence has signed a memorandum of understanding with the UK, the USA and Australia to conduct joint space operations and formalise an existing partnership between their armed forces.

The Combined Space Operations Initiative will allow Canada to co-operate effectively on activities such as identifying space objects, ensuring uninterrupted satellite operations, and avoiding satellite collisions.

Canadian Defence Minister Rob Nicholson said: “Canada has been a space-faring nation for more than half a century, and the space environment has become more crowded and complex in that time.

“By extending our co-operation with our closest allies, we can share our expertise, solve common problems, and ensure that defence dollars are spent to maximum effect.”

The partnership will support the sharing of data retrieved from satellite orbits, the accuracy of GPS signals, methods to prevent interference with satellite communications,
and space weather. It also involves command and control, weather information, navigation, communications, mapping and search-and-rescue activities.