[LINK] "Astronaut Steve MacLean named new head of Canadian Space Agency"

[rfmcdonald]

The Canadian Press, among other news agencies, carries the news article "Astronaut Steve MacLean named new head of Canadian Space Agency".

The country's space program is at a crossroads and decisions will have to be made about its future, new president of the Canadian Space Agency Steve MacLean said Tuesday.

MacLean, one of Canada's first astronauts, said it's an exciting time to be at the helm of the space agency, shaping the future of space exploration and the technologies that drive it.

"Canadarm is an icon, Canadarm 2 is making an operational and security difference for the international space station, and we have a laser on Mars right now," he said at a news conference in Cambridge with Industry Minister Jim Prentice.

"No other country has a laser on Mars that gives us the weather and the winds on Mars. I want to continue that kind of approach."

Immediately after the announcement, MacLean began meeting with industry partners and stakeholders for their input to go toward developing a new, long-term space plan - which he said could include more missions.

"The last time we had a long-term space plan was 1994 and we're at a crossroads now where we need to make some decisions," he said.

For more on the Canadian Space Agency, see the Canadian Space Agency's official website and the relevant Wikipedia page.