Canadarm Update

I wrote about this awhile back, upset that MDA was selling Radarsat-2 and the Canadarm to the US. I'm happy to see that this isn't going to happen without a bit of a fight.

Ruling on sale of Radarsat-2, Canadarm to U.S. arms maker delayed
Last Updated: Thursday, March 20, 2008 | 1:52 PM ET
The federal government is taking an extra 30 days before it makes a decision on the controversial proposed sale of the Radarsat-2 and the Canadarm technology to a U.S.-based arms maker.

Industry Minister Jim Prentice informed U.S.-based weapons and rocket manufacturer Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, on Thursday that he wouldn't meet the Saturday deadline to approve or reject the company's plan to acquire the satellite and space businesses of Richmond, B.C.,-based MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., or MDA.

Prentice had until Saturday to review the $1.3-billion deal under rules of the Investment Canada Act.

Critics of the sale, including former Canadian Space Agency head Marc Garneau, had called on Prentice to block the deal, arguing it handed over taxpayer-funded technology and, in the case of Radarsat-2, gave away technology designed to protect Canada's sovereignty.

To read more see CBC News website