John Manley, Minister of Industry and Minister
responsible for the Canadian Space Agency, announced today two contracts
totalling $13 million for Bristol Aerospace of Winnipeg, Manitoba, a
Magellan company, to build an all-Canadian science satellite. SCISAT-1,
Canada’s first science satellite since 1971, will study ozone depletion in
the atmosphere. It is scheduled for launch in 2002.

“These contracts demonstrate Canada’s commitment to leading the development
and application of space knowledge for the benefit of all Canadians. They
show the Canadian government’s determination to take concrete action for the
betterment of our environment,” said Minister Manley. “SCISAT-1 will improve
our understanding of the chemical processes involved in the depletion of the
ozone layer, with particular emphasis on the processes occurring over Canada
and the Arctic.”

“The SCISAT-1 contracts build logically on Bristol’s long history of space
payload development, and recognize our commitment to innovation in design
and quality in manufacture,” said Mr. Jim Butyniec, General Manager of
Bristol Aerospace. “We are proud to play this major role in this project and
welcome the opportunity to refine our capabilities and expertise in this
area. We see the SCISAT-1 program as a key step in Bristol’s entry into the
commercial space business, and ultimately, our involvement in international
programs.”

The ozone research to be undertaken by the SCISAT-1 mission will be headed
by Dr. Peter Bernath of the University of Waterloo. ABB Bomem of Quebec City
is developing the scientific instrument for the mission.

Funding for SCISAT-1 is provided under Canada’s Space Program. The Canadian
Space Agency is the federal government agency responsible for implementing
all activities of the Canadian Space Program.

Bristol has contributed to space science research for over 30 years. It is a
world leader in the manufacturing of sounding rockets and has produced more
than 130 payloads for rocket and space shuttle missions.

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Background information on the SCISAT-1 mission is available at :

http://www.space.gc.ca/ENG/Whats_New/2000_03_08backgrounder.html

For further information,

Caroline Lavallée