Cyberspace Research (CsR) of North York, Ontario, is pleased to announce that a group of Canadian companies operating under the umbrella of PRIOR Data Science of Kanata, Ontario, has been selected to design, develop, and test, the RADARSAT Mission Control System (MCS) Order Desk System (ODSys) for the Canadian Space Agency.
The successful proposal included leading-edge new technologies based on open systems, the Internet, and the World Wide Web, which reaffirms Cyberspace Research's position as a Canadian leader in World Wide Web and Internet technologies.
"The RADARSAT MCS ODSys will be the first of a series of Order Desks scattered around the world designed to interact between Canadian and worldwide scientists and the RADARSAT data products on the Information Highway, or Internet.", added Mr. Turgeon, President and founder of Cyberspace Research of North York, Ontario.
The RADARASAT ODSys will be used by scientists to request data acquisition from the RADARSAT spacecraft, to be launched in mid-1995 by the Canadian Space Agency, or to gain access to on-line data catalogs, query services, registration services, and bulletin board services.
Cyberspace Research will be responsible for designing, developing, coding, and testing the World Wide Web server, its databases, as well as setting up the hardware and software on the ODSys itself. The software development approach will include prototyping and follow Defence System Software Development Standards MIL-STD-2167A and MIL-STD-1472D, which are established development standards within the software industry.
"The arrangement between all 4 companies ensures that we are providing the best possible product since all 4 of us excel in our own domains, with Cyberspace Research responsible for the development of the Internet and World Wide Web tools", added Mr. Turgeon.
He went on to say that: "The proposal addressed all potential concerns raised by the Canadian Space Agency insofar as new technologies such as the World Wide Web would be used extensively in the design and operational phases of the MCS ODSys. This approach was highly successful in the sense that it will allow the system to grow with time and ensure easy access to the system through the Internet".
This competitive RADARSAT MCS ODSys contract is valued at $325,000 split between 4 software development companies located in Kanata, Ottawa, North York, Ontario, and Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is expected to be completed by the end of March, 1995. Mr. Benoit Turgeon will act as Program Manager and Software Engineer, while Mr. Benjamin Sugars and Mr. Dave Del Rizzo will participate in the software engineering phase of the project. Future extensions to the system will likely be performed in mid-1995.