
RADARSAT-2 Remote Sensing Satellite Illustration. Source: Canadian Space Agency
The Canadian Department of National Defence has launched an initiative to develop new capabilities to protect satellites. The effort has been dubbed “Shields Up,” a reference to the popular Star Trek series of television shows and movies.
Satellites are vulnerable to enemy attacks of various types, including cyber-attacks, jamming, directed energy, and missiles. The threats faced by satellites go beyond potential adversarie and include hazards like solar flares or collisions with space debris.
The DND has issued a solicitation for proposals, and will award CAD200,000 ($151,000) contracts for some ideas to be fleshed out over a six-month period. Solutions with the most potential could receive a further CAD1 million ($754,000) for continued development.