Canadian Space Commerce Association – An Industry Group to Promote and Support Canadian Businesses

On Thursday, November 13th, 2008 the Canadian Space Commerce Association is pleased to welcome members and the public to our final regular meeting of the year.

Jeff Kehoe will be speaking on the following topic:

Abstract

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has led the world to face the issue of global warming driven (in large part) by humans burning fossil fuels. This importance of this issue has been recognized by national leaders worldwide, and much effort is going into trying to resolve it. However, all of the approaches being widely considered for doing so have deep problems: unknown technical feasibility, production of other toxic by-products, inability to produce power on demand. A potential solution that side-steps those problems is well-known inside the space development community, but has not yet come to the attention of the IPCC and world leaders.

Harvesting solar power in space and wirelessly transmitting it to Earth is known to be technically feasible, and can provide very large amounts of clean power to most locations on Earth 24 hours a day. In September 2009 SPACE Canada will welcome representatives from the international community of science and technology, members of the academic community,
experts in space and international law, leaders in the fight against global warming and climate change, representatives of provincial/state and national governments, NGOs, economists and journalists and leaders in the business community to a three-day symposium on the viability of
space-based solar power as an alternative source of clean energy for the world.

Agenda:
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7pm: Meeting Begins – Light Informal Conversation
8pm: Election of Board of Directors for 2009-2011 term
8:15pm: Talk by Jeff Kehoe about the recent Space Solar Power symposium
9:00pm: Discussion of the upcoming Canadian Space Summit
9:30pm: Official Business

We will also be taking membership fees for 2009. Please check registration page for rates.

The meeting is once again in the 2nd Floor private room at Scallywags in Toronto. Location information here.

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Paid up 2007 Members of the Canadian Space Commerce Association may now vote in the election for the CSCA’s Board of Directors for the 2009-2011 term. If you attended the Accelerating Space Conference in January and purchase the regular attendance rate (not the student rate) or where a sponsor then you are eligible for vote. Please contact me at chair@spacecommerce.ca to confirm whether you are a member in good standing.

Ballots are here: [PDF][Word Doc]

Elections will be conducted by the above ballot which may be sent in by fax [1-800-613-7332] or email, or delivered in person by 8pm at our final meeting of this year, on Thursday, November 13th, 2008. (At Scallywags’ private room on the second floor).

The voting period allows for at least 5 business days in which members can vote.

Nominated members are:

• Rocky Persaud (2007-2009 Director, Chair and Secretary)
• Arny Sokoloff (2007-2009 Director and President)
• Brian Feeney (2007-2009 Director)
• Marc Boucher (2007-2009 Director)
• Richard Graf (2007-2009 Director)
• Chuck Black (2007-2009 Treasurer)

Email the Elections Officer at vote@spacecommerce.ca with your ballot, or send by fax to 1-800-613-7332, or deliver in person before 8pm November 13th, 2008.

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The CSCA is a sponsor of the 2008 annual Canadian Space Summit. Please visit that page to learn more about the Summit, including about registration fees, schedules, speakers, and download the information package.

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Greetings space entrepreneurs,

Those of you who are paid up Members of the Canadian Space Commerce Association may nominate and/or be nominated for the CSCA’s Board of Directors for the 2009-2011 term.  If you attended the Accelerating Space Conference in January and purchase the regular attendance rate (not the student rate) or where a sponsor then you are eligible for vote.  Please contact me at chair@spacecommerce.ca to confirm whether you are a member in good standing.  I will mail out ballots to all eligible members with instructions.

Elections will be conducted by ballot which may be sent in by fax or email, or delivered in person by 8pm at our final meeting of this year, on Thursday, November 13th, 2008.  (At Scallywags’ private room
on the second floor).

The nomination period allows 5 business days in which members can nominate another member or themselves.  The nominated member has a 48-hour period of opportunity to accept the nomination.

Currently nominated members are:

• Rocky Persaud (2007-2009 Director, Chair and Secretary)
• Arny Sokoloff (2007-2009 Director and President)
• Brian Feeney (2007-2009 Director)
• Marc Boucher (2007-2009 Director)
• Richard Graf (2007-2009 Director)
• Chuck Black (2007-2009 Treasurer)

who have all accepted nomination.

Ballots will be emailed out by 8pm November 5th, and at that time the voting period will begin, which will conclude at the November 13th meeting by 8pm.

Email me at chair@spacecommerce.ca with your nominations.  The nomination period ends November 3rd at 8pm EDT.

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A copy of the 2008 edition of The Space Report was purchased on behalf of CSCA members. Please go to the files section and log in with your member password to download the PDF copy of this invaluable resource.

Produced by the Space Foundation’s Research & Analysis division, The Space Report 2008: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity is a publication that thoroughly examines and analyzes the state of the space industry. The flagship product of the Space Foundation, The Space Report 2008 covers primarily 2007 data, contains information on global space budgets and revenues, a yearly summary and analysis of the Space Foundation Index, and for the first time, addresses United States labor and workforce issues. The original edition, The Space Report 2006 looked at the global space industry in its entirety for the first time and established a value for the industry in terms of budgets and revenues, as well as creating a market index for space.

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The CSCA directors and members would like to thank all who participated in the Accelerating Space Conference and our Annual General Meeting, including our invited speakers Dr. Roberts Richards from Odyssey Moon and Optech Incorporated; Dr. Burton Lee of the Space Angels Network; and Peter Evans of the MaRS Discovery District.

The event on Saturday, January 26th, 2008 provide a lot of stimulating discussion and ideas for bringing forward the CSCA’s agenda of expanding Canadian opportunity for commercial activities in and related to space.

The conference presentations will go up on this site relatively soon.

Over the next few weeks and months, the CSCA executive will be following-up on the conference in several directions, including engaging with local business accelerators / incubators like MaRS. If you would like to contribute your thoughts and ideas towards these efforts, please send a message to discuss@spacecommerce.ca to discuss it publicly with members, or to myself privately at chair@spacecommerce.ca.

Once again, I’d like to thank our sponsors:

AstroKeys, Inc. – Silver Sponsor

Blue Expansion – Silver Sponsor

Chuck Black – Silver Sponsor

Optech Incorporated – Bronze Sponsor

Continuum Aerospace, Inc. – Bronze Sponsor

The International Space School Alumni Association – Bronze Sponsor

Columbiad Launch Services Inc. – Bronze Sponsor

Heliocentric Technologies Inc. – Bronze Sponsor

best regards, and thanks for helping us put on a successful event!

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The January 2008 meeting will once again be held at Scallywags (11 St. Clair West), on Thursday, January 10, 2008, beginning 7pm.

This meeting will take place on the 3rd floor patio section towards the front of the building.

Meetings are called to order at 7:30pm.

This meetings agenda will include:

1) Acceptance of new members (voting)

2) Brief financial update

– review of proposed new fee structure, vote on it
- current state of finances

3) AGM preparation

– quick review of what business MUST be done at AGM (i.e. as mandated in the bylaws)
- proposals for optional items (e.g. additional resolutions) to be presented at AGM

4) Conference preparation

Note: This is not an open forum to micromanage the planning details. That is best NOT done in a large group. If anyone has issues with the plan please take it up with the planners directly, primarily Rocky and Chuck.

Instead, our goal at this meeting is to:
i) do a a “sanity check” on the conference prep so far
ii) give us all an understanding of what the conference IS and IS NOT about
so that all of us can be prepared to help in the smooth operation of the conference.

Items to be considered:

– review of the conference schedule
- review of the conference logistics
- review of conference promotion to date and planned
- review of the conference goals

5) – If time permits – Discussion of the “Space Business Accelerator”

- what it means
- what the envisioned stages will be from a function and timing viewpoint
- proposed relationship between the Accelerator and the CSCA

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If you plan to attend please contact the Meeting Chair to RSVP.

Scallywags is right around the corner from St. Clair subway station, so that is your best way to get there, on the south side of St. Clair about 10 meters from Yonge Street. Parking is $1.50 per 1/2 hour in that area. The closest lot is at 21 Pleasant Blvd.

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The CSCA is pleased to announce that Robert Richards of Optech Incorporated and the Odyssey Moon team competing in the Google Lunar X-Prize will be our Keynote speaker for the Accelerating Space Conference.

Dr. Robert (Bob) Richards is a Founder of the International Space University with over 20 years of commercial space experience, presiding over multiple spaceflight programs from conception to launch as director of Optech Space Technology. He is CEO and Founder of Odyssey Moon:

Odyssey Moon is a private commercial lunar enterprise domiciled in the Isle of Man. This international team represents an innovative partnership of aerospace, banking, property, and legal interests that have come together to offer unique commercial products and services for humanity’s permanent return to the Moon. Utilizing Canadian ingenuity in mission design and advanced robotics, Odyssey Moon has a long term purpose of pursuing commercial lunar activities and a short term goal of winning the Google Lunar X PRIZE.

Odyssey Moon intends to be the world’s first commercial lunar exploration and development enterprise operating on a global scale, building on its Google Lunar X PRIZE experience to develop unique technical and managerial capabilities as a commercial lunar “mission integrator” for diverse international customers.

With the world’s attention turning back to the Moon and the increasing confidence accruing to the private space sector as highly credible players enter the new space race, Odyssey Moon is uniquely positioned to take the next bold step beyond the current focus on suborbital and low earth orbit tourism. This unique position is due to the experience and influence of the company’s founders and advisors; strategic partnerships with renowned international space technology developers.

We are also pleased to announce Optech and Odyssey Moon as new members of the Canadian Space Commerce Association, as well as Optech as a Bronze Sponsor for the Accelerating Space Conference.

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Planning for the CSCA’s Annual General Meeting (Sat. January 26th, 2008) have evolved into a tentative agenda for what we are calling The Accelerating Space Conference. (Click on that link to go to the conference page — where you can also register as a discount before January 11, 2008).

Dr. Burton Lee of the Space Angels Network, and Peter Evans of the MaRS Discovery District, are confirmed to speak. We have invited a speaker to do the keynote, as well as a few more we’d like to squeeze in.

The focus of the meeting (to be held at the MaRS Discovery District) is the concept of a Space Business Accelerator. See the conference page for an explanation of that.

Tentative Agenda:

* 1pm-1:30 – Keynote – Dr. Robert Richards, Odyssey Moon

* 1:30 – 2pm – Formal Networking Session

* 2pm – 2:45 – Speaker: Dr. Burton Lee – Space Angels Network; discussing angel financing

* 2:45-3:15 – Informal Networking Session

* 3:15 – 4:00 – Speaker: Peter Evans, MaRS — business incubators and building management teams.

* 4:00 – 5pm – Discussion: The Space Business Accelerator

* 5pm – 7pm — Break for dinner (meet at Scallywags)

* 7pm – 8pm — CSCA annual general meeting (Scallywags)

* 8pm onwards — socializing and network as you like.

Please register soon to get a $50 discount on your CSCA membership and conference attendance! The sooner we can build up our registration revenue the more likely we can invite additional speakers to the Accelerating Space Conference.

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Welcome to the CSCA website. Registered members will have access to the Meeting Minutes as well as reports and news that are listed as private. Only those who have paid their CSCA dues will have their registration approved.

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