The National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) has achieved both Station Operations Certification and Product Certification. With these achievements, NASDA is certified for the successful ordering, scheduling, receiving, and product generation of RadarSat data; and the generation, transcription and commercial distribution of Level 1 products from received telemetry.

"The expansion in the applications of Canadian Earth observation technologies into countries like Japan exemplifies the extent to which Canada is recognized as a world leader in this field," said Mac Evans, President of the Canadian Space Agency. "This announcement also supports the government's international commitment to supporting global efforts to more effectively manage and protect the environment."

"The dedication and professionalism demonstrated by NASDA during the certification process continues to prove their commitment to the RadarSat program," said RSI Chief Operating Officer Mr. Roland Knight. "NASDA's certification further increases the quantity of RadarSat-1 imagery and near-real time services available to regional users."

RadarSat-1, Canada's first Earth observation satellite, was designed and built in Canada by a team of 30 Canadian companies under the supervision of Spar Aerospace. As the world's first operationally-oriented radar satellite, RadarSat is equipped with an advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) which can provide images of the Earth's surface regardless of weather or light conditions.

RadarSat-1's unique capabilities, including eight metre resolution and near-real time services gives Canada a dominant position in the field of Earth observation technologies. Since its launch in November 1995, RadarSat-1 has already provided the first complete SAR coverage of the Earth and is now associated with 64 distributors and nine ground-receiving stations in 41 countries who deliver RadarSat-1 data to users worldwide.

"The RadarSat-1 satellite, with its SAR technology, is expected to be utilized in a variety of fields, including disaster and environmental monitoring," said Mr. Tadaharu Tomita, Director of Earth Observation Planning Department at NASDA. "With direct reception and processing capabilities of RadarSat-1 data, NASDA can now provide imagery to clients within hours of acquisition."

Established in 1989, RadarSat International (RSI) is a world leader in providing information solutions from space. RSI's leadership and expertise in radar-based remote sensing earned it the 1998 Canadian-American Business Achievement Award. RSI distributes RadarSat-1 products worldwide, ERS products in North America, and SPOT, LANDSAT and JERS products in Canada. RSI has a staff of almost 90 and has its headquarters in Richmond (British Columbia, Canada) and offices in Ottawa (Ontario, Canada), Gatineau (Quebec, Canada), and Farnham (United Kingdom).

RadarSat-1 satellite operations are currently managed from the headquarters of the Canadian Space Agency in Saint-Hubert, Quebec. Tomorrow, John Manley, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Canadian Space Agency will be making an announcement of the next generation of RadarSat satellites that will allow Canada to continue its leading role in the field Earth observation from space.

The CSA is committed to leading the development and application of space knowledge for the benefit of Canadians and humanity.