No, these aren’t horoscope-based satellites. In this case, LEO stands for “Low Earth Orbit”.
On Tuesday, as part of the 2018 Federal Budget, the government of Canada proposed $100 million of funding over five years for the Strategic Innovation Fund, with a particular focus on supporting projects that relate to LEO satellites and next-generation rural broadband.
LEO satellites make internet access a lot easier for people living in rural and remote areas. That means it’ll be easier for Canadians to read Victoria Buzz articles! Or whatever else it is people do on the internet.
Internet Access is “Essential”
In the Budget, the Government states that they recognize that “access to the internet is more than just a convenience—it is an essential means by which citizens and businesses access information, offer services and create opportunities.”
“LEO satellites, situated closer to the surface of the Earth than traditional high orbit satellites, can receive and transmit data with significantly improved response times, speeding up data services, while maintaining the benefits of satellite technology, including the ability to provide Internet across challenging landscapes at much lower costs than fibre-optic technology,” the Budget continued.
Canada Adds to Global LEO System
The proposed funding is part of a global trend toward LEO satellite use. For example, Elon Musk’s SpaceX recently announced their Starlink satellite constellation, which plans to add thousands of LEO satellites to the Earth’s orbit.
Canada could soon have a satellite launching capabilities of its own, pending the approval of a space vehicle launch facility in Nova Scotia.
