Since late 2024, Canadians have become increasingly aware of our vulnerability. Depending on an erratic and unreliable United States is unsustainable, necessitating a focus on expanding our capabilities in both national defence and national security.
This requires addressing Canada’s status as the only G7 nation without direct access to space, as noted by Orbital Today in late January of this year:
“Canada was once at the forefront of space technology, launching the Black Brant rocket and becoming the third nation to build and operate its own satellite. However, despite early advancements, the country never developed a domestic space launch capability. Every Canadian satellite has relied on foreign launch providers, leaving the nation without control over a crucial part of the space industry value chain.
Without a domestic launch sector, Canadian spacecraft operators must send their payloads abroad, resulting in lost economic opportunities and delayed projects. Other G7 nations, including the United States, France, and the UK, have recognised the strategic importance of sovereign launch capabilities. Canada remains the only G7 country without its own launch capability or a government-backed initiative to develop one.”
This is unacceptable.
We are a nation of over 40 million people, with a high per capita GDP, one of the world’s largest tech sectors, and the seventh largest aerospace sector. It is frankly absurd that we do not possess an independent space launch capability.
For far too long, our nation has been coasting. We hoped for the best and prepared for the best, assuming negative scenarios would never materialize. As a result, we find ourselves in a desperate race to catch up in a world that is much more transactional, uncertain, and dangerous than we predicted.
There is little utility in lamenting our past, however, since we cannot change it. What we can do is get things right going forward, and that means supporting innovative Canadian companies trying to dig us out of our strategic hole.
NordSpace is one such company.
Officially launched by CEO and Founder Rahul Goel in 2022, NordSpace is seeking to turn its Spaceport Canada site in Newfoundland and Labrador into Canada’s first operational spaceport, from which it will launch its Tundra orbital launch vehicle, among others. The company is also working on hypersonic reusable vehicles and satellites.
NordSpace is also actively promoting Canadian heroes like retired astronaut Chris Hadfield, naming their Hadfield-10 engine after him.
In their ambition to provide Canada with an independent space launch capability, their desire to promote accomplished Canadians (something our country doesn’t do enough), and their focus on hypersonics (key to military strength in the decades ahead), NordSpace is a company worthy of support.
Consider that while NordSpace is investing $5 million in Spaceport Canada, federal and provincial governments provided tens of billions of dollars in incentives to the EV sector. Imagine if two or three billion of those dollars went towards NordSpace and other Canadian companies focused on expanding our presence in space.
Time to think big
It’s time for Canada to think big. We have the people, the technology, and the wealth to be a robust military power capable of defending ourselves and assisting our allies. All we lack is the mindset. Supporting and building up companies like NordSpace would show that we are finally waking up to our potential as a nation and would put us on the path towards reducing our reliance on the United States.
Most importantly, seeing NordSpace grow and succeed would inspire a new generation of Canadians to reach for the stars, positioning Canada as a long-term contributor to humanity’s next great adventure.
Learn more about NordSpace here.
Spencer Fernando
Image – YouTube
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