Canada is staring into a black hole when it comes to the future of its outer space exploration, and if nothing changes, David Saint-Jacques could be the last Canadian astronaut to leave Earth.

The country has been without a formal space plan since 1999 and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has faced budget cuts and stagnation for just as long, researchers and industry experts say. Even with NASA requesting Canada build a new robotic arm for its next space station project, Lunar Gateway, the federal government has yet to commit to any future projects.

And for Canada, which doesn’t have its own rockets, these types of commitments are the only way for it to secure spots for its astronauts to travel on other countries’ spacecrafts, said Gordon Osinski, a Western University professor and Canada Research Chair in earth and space exploration.

Watch: Meet the 10 Canadians who’ve been to space.

“If we don’t have that ticket for the moon, not only do we not have those industrial investments and jobs, we won’t have a current way for astronauts to go to space,” said Osinski. “No more Canadian astronauts will be a bit of a shock to the Canadian system.”

The CSA told HuffPost the federal government recognizes the “need to lay out a long-term vision for space moving forward and is committed to maintaining Canada’s continued activity in this evolving industry.”

“Canada has been a global leader in space robotics for decades, and is a recognized powerhouse in artificial intelligence,” CSA spokesperson Marie-Andre Malouin said. “We see these two sources of national expertise and pride coming together to enable human exploration of deep space: the space robots of the future will have to work with minimal human help, using artificial intelligence to make decisions.”

But if Canada wants to be competitive, it must invest in its space industries more than it currently does, experts say.

Missed opportunity

Out of the G8 countries, Canada spends the least amount on its space program and the second lowest per capita, according to a 2017 report from the University of British Columbia (UBC). It provides about $16 million a year towards space exploration missions and technology, and about $250 million in base funding for its space agency — $50 million less than in 1999.

It’s a missed opportunity, said the UBC report. Canada is a world leader in the aerospace industry, and every $1 billion invested into space innovation generates an additional $1.2 billion in economic activity. The Canadian space sector’s annual revenue is more than $5 billion mostly from satellite operations and services and it employs about 25,000 Canadians. The UBC researchers recommended a $1-billion investment in a structured space program over the next 10 years.

The global space and satellite markets are expected to grow from about $350 billion now to trillions of dollars by 2030, said Ryan Anderson, president and CEO of the Satellite Canada Innovation Network, a not-for-profit organization that drives growth for Canada’s space industry. The network is also a member of a coalition of 60 industry partners called Don’t Let Canada Go, which is raising public awareness and lobbying the federal government to increase the space budget in 2019.

“As other nations have been increasing their investments and new nations entering the sector, Canada is rapidly losing ground,” Anderson said. “The coalition formed to raise public awareness of the situation and the implications of not reversing the trend.”

Public support

There appears to be support for Canada’s space program. A petition to the House of Commons to develop a space strategy and increase funding has been signed by more than 3,500 people.

A poll from September found that 84 per cent of Canadians are in favour of developing the country’s space sector, and the majority said it would be a good idea to increase investment in satellite communications, space science, space robotics and international space missions, according to Ipsos. It surveyed 1,602 Canadians over the phone in June, yielding a margin of error of 2.45 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Between now and February, Canada will mark a number of space innovation achievements, which Osinski said are “bittersweet” because they stem from previous commitments, not matched for the past decade.

On Monday, the same day Saint-Jacques became the ninth Canadian astronaut to venture into space, a NASA asteroid probe equipped with a Canadian-made laser system arrived at its destination. The laser will scan an asteroid, create a 3D model, provide scientists with “unprecedented” information about its surface and help determine the best spot to take a sample from, according to the CSA’s website.

The CSA will also see the launch of three made-in-Canada satellites in February 2019 to monitor and provide data on ecosystems, agriculture, natural disasters and climate change in Canada.

Meanwhile, Canada has failed to join recent NASA missions including the launch of a Mars rover in 2020, and has been non-committal on whether it will build the robotic arm for NASA’s Lunar Gateway, a new space station to orbit the moon as early as 2024 that will serve as stepping stone to deep space. The new arm will cost about $2 billion to build over at least a decade, said Osinski. The International Space Station will shutdown by 2028.

“Canada’s participation in the Lunar Gateway is still being discussed by the Government of Canada,” said the CSA’s Malouin. “We are advancing technologies that are needed by the partnership in areas of strength for Canada, like robotics.”

Watch: NASA’s ‘deep space gateway’ could put us on Mars in 2030

If Canada doesn’t act fast, it can also say goodbye to being part of the next stage of space exploration including asteroid mining and eventually human settlement on Mars.

“Space is opening up at incredible speed because of technological advances,” said Michael Byers, University of British Columbia professor, focusing on outer space and Arctic sovereignty, and Canada Research Chair in global politics and international law.

“If Canada wants to be at cutting edge technologically, it has to be seriously engaged in space. If Canada wants to be a serious participant, it has to be there for the rule-making.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – UCLA’s Rachel Garcia and Florida’s Kelly Barnhill were named Louisville/Slugger NFCA Division I National Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for games played Feb. 19-25.

Garcia had an outstanding week in the circle and at the plate for the third-ranked and still undefeated Bruins (15-0). The sophomore form Palmdale, Calif. went 3-0 with a 0.40 ERA, a save and 30 strikeouts in 17.2 innings of work. At the plate, she hit .529 over six games with nine hits, four RBI and two runs scored.

Surrendering just five hits, one run and three walks, Garcia limited her opposition to a .085 batting average against a strong field at the Mary Nutter Classic. Twenty-three of her 30 punchouts came in 12 innings against RV Nebraska (11 K) and then-No. 7 LSU (12 K). Additionally, she was 2-for-2 with an RBI versus the Huskers and knocked in two runs against the Tigers.

Barnhill, a junior from Marietta, Ga., tossed a perfect game and a no-hitter over the weekend as the second-ranked Gators went 8-0 at home last week. The hard-throwing righty fanned 11 over five innings against Georgia Southern in her first collegiate perfect game. That was preceded a day earlier by a five-inning no-hitter against Iowa State in which Barnhill struck out nine and walked two.

Barnhill added 15 more strikeouts (5.2 IP) in her first start of the week against Oakland. Over four starts, she was 4-0 with a 0.31 ERA, 44 strikeouts and four walks in 22.2 innings of work. Barnhill limited her opposition to six hits and a .081 batting average.

Player & Pitcher of the Week
Feb. 27 – Rachel Garcia, UCLA | Kelly Barnhill, Florida
Feb. 20 – Tori Vidales, Texas A&M | Kylee Hanson, Florida State
Feb. 13 – Vanessa Shippy, Oklahoma State | Missy Zoch, DePaul

Selected Top Performances
Taylor McQuillan, Arizona – 5 app/3 GS, 4-0, save, 3 SHO, 0.29 ERA, 27 K, 24 IP, .064 opp BA; Taran Alvelo, Washington– 4-0, 1.04 ERA, 2 SHO, 32 K, 3 BB, 13 H, .144 opp BA; Carlee Wallace, Baylor– Hit for the cycle; 4-for-6, 6 RBI, .1.667 SLG; Jessie Warren, Florida State– .476, 10 H, 2B, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 7 R, 1.238 SLG, .542 OBP; Caylan Arnold, Tennessee– 6 APP / 2 GS, 3-0, save, 0.00 ERA, 32 K, 5 BB, 10 H, 21 IP; Kirstyn Thomas, Washington– .593, 16 H, 4 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 8 R, 1.148 SLG; Lili Piper, Ohio State – .500, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1.400 SLG, .545 OBP; Jenna Holcomb, Tennessee– .524, 11 H, 13 R, RBI, GW run vs. Oregon; Emily Watson, Tulsa– 3-0, 0.00 ERA, 30 K, 2 BB, 9 H, .129 opp BA, 20 IP; Angel Love, North Dakota– .500, 7 H, 7 R, 2B, 4 3B, 3 RBI, 3 SB; Shea Smith, Grand Canyon– .522, 3 2B, 2 2B, HR, 8 RBI, 5 BB, .607 OBP; Megan Beaubien, Michigan- 3-1, 0.00 ERA, 2 SHO, 16 K, 19 IP; Nicole Timmons, Drake– 3-0, 0.86 ERA, 27 K; Amanda Lorenz, Florida– .455, 10 H (9 XBH), 6 2B, 2 3B, HR, 10 RBI, 12 R, 6 BB, SB, 1.045 SLG; Holly Speers, Kent State- .615, 8 H, , 2 B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R, 5 BB, .722 OBP.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — An undefeated run to the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic championship further solidified reigning national champion Virginia Wesleyan’s grip on the No. 1 spot in the NFCA Division III Top 25 rankings.

The (14-0) Marlins won all six of their games at Tucson’s Lincoln Park complex over the weekend, winning four games by run rule and outscoring opponents in their six contests, 65-16. In its other two games at the elite 32-team showcase, Virginia Wesleyan overcame a leadoff homer by Brooke Wehr off reigning Schutt Sports/NFCA Division III National Player of the Year Hanna Hull to edge Moravian, 2-1, in eight innings on day one, and scored two runs in the first inning en route to a 5-0 victory over Texas Lutheran in a battle of unbeaten teams on the final day.

On the strength of its 5-1 Leadoff showing, the (7-1) Bulldogs move up seven places, to the No. 2 spot, in the rankings this week, while Texas-Tyler, which lost the finale of a three-game American Southwest Conference series with Mary Hardin-Baylor, 5-3, on Friday, remains No. 3. The (8-1) Patriots easily bounced back from the loss on Tuesday for an 8-0, five-inning triumph over Centenary (La.), in which Texas-Tyler’s Colleen Bentke tossed a tidy one-hour-and-25-minute one-hitter.

Williams, which has high hopes for its season when it starts on March 18, remains fourth, while Trine, which opened its season 5-1 at the Leadoff, moves up one position to fifth. Christopher Newport (8-2), which also dropped just one Leadoff game, got a boost as well, going from 11th to sixth.

Amherst (opens March 11), Berry (16-3), Luther (5-1) and Wisconsin-Whitewater (starts March 22) round out the first 10, while St. John Fisher (3-5) drops from second to 11th this week after a 2-4 start to its season at the Leadoff.

Familiar poll teams Linfield (12-4) which went 5-1 at the Leadoff, and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (10-4), which went 5-1 to finish second at the Leadoff, are back in the rankings, as are Alma (10-2), Whitworth (7-7), La Verne (9-3) and Salisbury (7-1). Messiah (4-6) and St. Catherine (5-5) dropped out this week.

The NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll is selected by eight NCAA Division III head coaches representing the eight NCAA regions. Current 2018 records are listed, with first-place votes in parentheses.

NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll – March 7, 2018

Rank

Team

2018 Record

Points

Previous

1

Virginia Wesleyan (8)

14-0

200

1

2

Texas Lutheran

7-1

192

9

3

Texas-Tyler

8-1

184

3

4

Williams

0-0

176

4

5

Trine

5-1

168

6

6

Christopher Newport

8-2

160

11

7

Amherst

0-0

152

7

8

Berry

16-3

144

T24

9

Luther

5-1

136

8

10

Wisconsin-Whitewater

0-0

128

10

11

St. John Fisher

3-5

120

2

12

Ramapo

0-0

99

14

13

Randolph-Macon

7-1

90

16

14

East Texas Baptist

7-3

75

13

15

Babson

3-3

63

T24

16

Ithaca

0-0

61

19

17

Illinois Wesleyan

3-3

56

5

18

George Fox

11-3

52

22

19

Lynchburg

8-0

38

RV

20

St. Thomas (Minn.)

3-3

30

RV

T21

Central (Iowa)

4-4

28

21

 

Linfield

12-4

28

NR

T23

Emory

6-2

27

RV

 

Kean

2-0

27

23

 

Wisconsin-Oshkosh

7-3

27

20

Others receiving votes: Moravian 21, Texas-Dallas 21, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 17, Alma 16, Washington (Mo.) 12, Whitworth 10, La Verne 7, Cortland 6, Salisbury 6, Rowan 4, Hope 3, Transylvania 1 and Wisconsin-Eau Claire 1.

Dropped out: Messiah and St. Catherine.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic — Two days after nearly being eliminated from the Pan American Championship, the USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) bounced back and dominated the final day with a pair of run-rule victories. After dropping the opening medal round game, the U.S. won its final four contest to claim the Gold.

Behind Kelly Barnhill’s no-hitter, the reigning champs knocked off Mexico in 9-0 (5) on Sunday in the title game. Her performance nearly mirrored Cat Osterman’s perfect game twirled in the 2003 Pan American Games against Canada nearly 14 years ago to the day on the very same field.

Earlier in the day, the U.S. defeated Canada 11-3 (5) to advance to the Gold Medal Game for a rematch with Mexico, who’s extra-inning win over the U.S. in the first round of playoffs sent the Americans to the loser’s bracket to battle their way back. 

“Unbelievable,” said head coach Ken Eriksen.  “I think it’s the first time in double-page system that a team has lost the first game and then won four-in-a-row to win the tournament.  We needed a wakeup call.  I don’t know if anyone realized that we were at the brink of elimination over the course of the next four years because of the way the system is setup.  This team took it upon themselves and they got in a groove.  We had really good pitching and defense yesterday to carry through and it made the hitters more comfortable.  Michelle Moultrie, Amanda Chidester, Valerie Arioto and Jess Moore did an incredible job in leadership.  I was here the last time Team USA won a Gold Medal on this field when Cat Osterman pitched a perfect game and Kelly Barnhill almost matched her today.  History repeats itself here in Santo Domingo.”

Barnhill got the start and retired the first three batters she faced. After hitting the first batter of the second innng, she retired the final 12 to earn the victory. Barnhill fanned 10 and did not walk a batter.

The U.S. bats came alive during a nine-run outburst in the bottom of the second  Ali Aguilar put the Red, White and Blue on the board with a two-run bomb to centerfield. Following a pitching change, Janie Takeda sent a first-pitch, three-run home run over the centerfield fence to extend Team USA’s lead to five runs. 

The U.S. continued to pounce offensively scoring the final four runs with two outs thanks to an error that extended the inning. Amanda Chidester plated Kelsey Stewart and put runners on the corners.  On a 3-1 pitch, Valerie Arioto hit a no-doubter, over the leftfield fence for the third home run of the inning.  

“I was really excited going in to today,” said Barnhill.  “For us to win Gold on this field like so many of the Olympians before us is amazing.  It’s something that I’ve been dreaming of, to be like those Olympic pitchers, and to be on that path that they were once on is really special because we’re all on the same path in the end.”

In the victory over Canada, the United State bounced back from a three-run deficit after the first inning with 11 unanswered runs. Moultrie shined at the plate for Team USA, going 3-for-4, including a three-run home run which put the U.S. up in the top of the fourth inning. 

Each U.S. batter recorded a hit in the win over Canada, while Jessica Moore  earned the win after entering in relief in the top of the first inning.  Moore tossed four and one-third scoreless innings with one strikeout, two hits and one walk.  Danielle O’Toole got the start in the circle for the U.S. while Barnhill tossed the final out of the game.

With their backs against the wall, the United States accomplished what no other team has been able to do in the history of the event. 

“It would have been so easy to just fall apart after that loss,” said Arioto.  “It just shows our closeness and how we believe in each other and each person’s heart.  We did it as a unit.  That loss could have really set us back, and we said ‘No way, we’re fighting.’  We fought every single pitch.  It wasn’t every single game, it was every single pitch.  The world saw our heart there, we just laid it out and played some good softball.”

As a team, the U.S. hit an astounding .436 with 19 home runs and 102 RBI in 12 games played.  Haylie McCleney paced the offense, hitting .613 (19-for-31) as the leadoff batter with one home run, five RBI and 17 runs scored.  Arioto picked up 18 RBI while hitting .357 (10-for-28) and amassing a .857 slugging percentage.  From the circle, the U.S. staff combined for a 1.40 ERA.  Moore was a perfect 4-0 with 16 strikeouts and a 0.68 ERA in 20.2 innings in the circle.  Barnhill went 3-0 while fanning 40 batters with a 0.35 ERA in 20 innings pitched. 

Up next for Team USA is the Japan Cup, which will be held August 25-27 in Takasaki City, Japan.  It will be a battle of the top-four ranked teams in the world as No. 1 Japan, No. 2 USA, No. 3 Canada and No. 4 Australia are all slated to compete. 

Fans can follow along with the USA Softball National Team programs all year long at USASoftball.com. 

— Courtesy of USA Softball

Portland, Ore. — Lake Air Little League, from Waco, Texas (Southwest Region), won the 2017 Little League Softball® World Series tournament by defeating Rowan Little League, from Salisbury, N.C. (Southeast Region), 7-2.

Southeast captured the lead in the first inning as Brooke Kennerly drove in the first run of the conest with a single. The lead was short lived as Southwest answered with three runs in the bottom half of the frame. Following an error that evened the game a 1-1, a wild pitch put Southwest in the lead for good. Makayla Ramos closed out the scoring in the first with a RBI single.

Little League Softball World Series Tournamen

Southwest took control of the game with a four-run second inning, highlighted by a double off the bat of Yanijah Quintanilla and a single from Ramos.

Daniella Ramirez earned the win for Southwest. She went the distance, allowing two runs on five hit with a strikeout and a walk. Madelyn VonCanon suffered the defeat allowing three runs on two hits and walking one.

Southwest collected nine hits led by Ramos and Asharah Thibodeaux, who each recorded a multi-hit contest. 

— Courtesy of llbws.org

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LOUISVILLE, Ky.  A large portion of the NFCA Convention program is dedicated to education, but another focal point is the recognition of coaching achievements both on and off the field.

Over the course of four days, coaches will be recognized for victory milestones, on the field achievements, off the field success, classroom excellence, community service and illustrious careers. There will be two new addition to this year’s plaudits as the Humanitarian Award and Diamond Kinetics Technology Scholarship will presented for the first time.

The 2017 National Convention is being held Dec. 6-9 at Bally’s Las Vegas.

NFCC Information/Registration | Convention Registration | Speakers | Schedule | Awards

Highlighting the convention is the 2017 Hall of Fame Banquet. The 27^th induction features Ashland head coach Sheilah Gulas, former OC Batbusters coach Gary Haning, Carson-Newman head coach Vickie Kazee-Hollifield and retired Connecticut head coach Karen Mullins and will be enshrined on Dec. 8 in a ceremony held in Paris’ Champagne Ballroom. Haning and Mullins will be recognized as part of the Pioneer category which recognizes a member that has contributed above and beyond to the sport of fastpitch softball through service, leadership, coaching and/or participation.

The NFCA has been inducting members into its Hall of Fame since 1991 with the current total standing at 72. At the conclusion of the banquet, the Class of 2018 will be announced

At the Victory Club Luncheon on Thursday, Dec. 7, head and associate head coaches receive recognition for milestone victories obtained during the 2017 season. In 2017, honorees range from 100 to this year’s high mark of 1,600 wins. Be sure to attend so you can find out who earned monumental milestones, while enjoying lunch and conversation with your peers.

The Donna Newberry “Perseverance” and Humanitarian Award recipients, Indianapolis head coach Melissa Front and Mark Larriba, head coach at Flower Mound (Texas) High School, will be presented their awards at the Softball Summit presented by USA Softball on Friday, Dec. 8.

The Champions brunch on Saturday, Dec. 9 showcases coaching staffs that guided their teams to successful seasons, including national championships with regional and national awards. Along with entire staffs, individuals garner recognition in the Easton Assistant Coach of the Year category.

The Mary Nutter Scholarship recipients, Diversity Convention Grant honoree, top academic programs, sponsored by Easton, and leading StrikeOut Cancer fundraisers will also be recognized during the convention.