WASHINGTON: Canada on Friday announced a multi-year plan to support privately built rocket launches in the country and develop new launch regulations, as global demand for space-based services grows.
The goal, outlined by Transport Minister Omar Al-Ghabra at the Canadian Space Agency’s headquarters, aims to significantly expand the country’s space capabilities and commercial space sector, most notably by firms such as Telesat and MDA. and the country’s presence on the International Space Station.
“We want to send the message loud and clear … that Canada intends to be a leader in space,” Al-Ghabra said, adding that developing a commercial launch capability would The Canadian economy will benefit and more jobs will be created.
Plans by various countries and U.S. companies to deploy vast networks of thousands of Internet beaming satellites over the next few years have sparked a wave of new launch companies in what some analysts expect to become a trillion-dollar space market by 2030. have
Canada has few such launch firms, but officials hope the new regulatory efforts will attract more domestic talent and bolster a space economy that will reduce the country’s dependence on a handful of foreign launching states such as the United States and Russia. can
“We want to make sure we keep pace with emerging technologies and business models,” said Lisa Campbell, president of the Canadian Space Agency, adding that she and other officials will soon meet with space business leaders. to discuss ideas on new launch rules.
Transport Canada and other agencies will study potential commercial launch rules and licensing procedures over the next three years, according to a statement.
MLS Chief Executive Steve Metier told JEE News that a sub-rocket from startup Reaction Dynamics will launch in 2023 from a Kenso, Nova Scotia launch pad being built by Maritime Launch Services, Canada’s only launch. is one of the companies.
“We want to do some crawling, walking, stepping,” Metier said of Canada’s path to becoming a space power.
Brian Gallant, chief executive of industry group Space Canada, said recent innovations in spaceflight technologies around the world have forced both fledgling and established spacefaring nations to create or amend laws to send objects into space. , making Canada’s timely attempt at its own domestic legal framework.
“It gives us the option in Canada to copy frameworks from other countries that are out of date…or do you try to skip them and skip that part and go straight to the next chapter. ?” Gallant said.
