A Canadian Space Odyssey: Canada, the Great Space Powers, and the Space Power Dilemma
Abstract
Canada, despite being the third country to launch an artificial satellite, was unable to develop into a space power commanding a long-term strategic presence in outer space during the Cold War. Whereas the "great space powers" of the period, the United States and Soviet Union, held a dominant position in the space environment, Canada's space power influence declined over the years. By analyzing declassified strategic documents and the strategic literature on space power, and by interviewing members of Canada's national space organizations, this thesis will compare the strategic, political and economic variables of space power to determine why Canada did not maintain space supremacy when compared with the United States and Soviet Union from 1957 to 1991. This thesis concludes that Canada did not develop into a space power during the Cold War because, opposite the great space powers, the country did not have a comprehensive space strategy, political leadership and support, or the economic resources that would allow for the development of a long-term satellite presence.
Description
Keywords
History--Canadian, Military Studies, Engineering--Aerospace
Citation
McClelland, K. (2017). A Canadian Space Odyssey: Canada, the Great Space Powers, and the Space Power Dilemma (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/24640