Inuvik Satellite Station Contributes to Canada's Northern Strategy

By Terence Martin
October 2010

The 13-metre satellite dish at the Inuvik Satellite Station weighs over 6,000 kg.

High in the Western Arctic near the town of Inuvik, Northwest Territories, a huge dish antenna tracks a satellite orbiting overhead. Before it moves out of range, the earth observation satellite relays a radar picture of sea ice down to the antenna. Scientists studying climate change will use the image to get a better understanding of ice conditions over time.

The dish is part of the newly commissioned Inuvik Satellite Station Facility. Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) administers the facility and played the lead role in bringing together partners, including governments, academia and the private sector, and making the new observation program a reality.

Strategic Advantage in Earth Observation

Satellite data is used for many practical purposes — disaster management, climate change research, Arctic surveillance and northern economic development — all of which are key elements of Canada’s Northern Strategy.

From its vantage point above the Arctic Circle, the Inuvik facility is well positioned to track spacecraft, such as the Radarsat and Landsat series, that use polar orbits for scientific, mapping, weather and reconnaissance purposes.

“A polar-orbiting satellite comes within range of our Gatineau Satellite Station near Ottawa on about 5 of 15 daily orbits,” says Gordon Deecker of NRCan’s Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS). “The Inuvik station sees it on more orbits — about 10 per day.”

As a result, the new satellite station can receive data for the North in near real-time, compared to a wait of several hours for more southerly stations. And the volume of data will be growing quickly.

“There are about 70 earth observation satellites in orbit now, and we expect that will increase to 300 within 10 years,” adds Caroline Cloutier, a director for data acquisition with CCRS.

Partnerships Crucial to Success

Doug Bancroft, Director General of CCRS cuts the ribbon held by NWT Premier Floyd Roland and Caroline Cloutier of CCRS.

Setting up the facility involved 14 different partners and stakeholders and required the negotiation of several agreements over 18 months. “Building it wouldn’t have been possible without collaboration from all involved,” says Caroline.

Among the partners are the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and their German and Swedish counterparts; five other federal departments in Canada; territorial, municipal and Aboriginal governments; private interests, and academia.

The Inuvik Satellite Station Facility was built on the site of an existing Environment Canada weather station, and construction jobs were mostly filled locally. The first satellite antenna was installed at the facility by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) to receive the TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X transmissions, and a second dish is now being set up by PrioraNet Canada, a Canadian-Swedish space company. Canada will benefit through agreements to use the data, which will also help further its northern agenda.

Increased Access, Increased Responsibility

“The increased emphasis on northern development means scientists and decision-makers will need more and better data," says Gordon. This growing need has the potential to stimulate specialized scientific and technical industries in Canada that can use this data in various ways to generate value-added products for clients worldwide. Such products could be combinations of satellite data with other information or applications to track icebergs or ice cover.

But everything depends on the collection and processing of high-volume, high-quality data, for which the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility and other installations play an essential role. “What's key is that the more information we have, the better we can guide our development efforts in the North in the most sustainable way possible,” Gordon adds.

For more information on the Inuvik facility, visit the NRCan NewsRoom.

To read about related articles, see Maps & Mapping

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