Thank you for the question.
I would mirror what Mr. Greenley highlighted. What I think will be very important is not only the support but also the consistency of support. That gives us a lot of certainty. I think, in a certain way, all three of us have experienced a rise in interest from investors. That means we can hire. We have been hiring one or two people per week. We've added 20 people to the team since September—not September 2024 but September of last year—which is pretty remarkable. It's about consistency and the belief that even if the first launch doesn't succeed, it's not the end. SpaceX needed three failed launches before they had a fourth successful orbital flight. That is really going to be key.
I would push it further. When we are able, as a country, to launch our own satellites, it means we can also support the alliance. That means we can also launch satellites for Latvia, Poland and the countries that are currently in a life-or-death situation. They need to launch assets into space, but they can't necessarily develop their own programs or invest. This is something that we are fortunate enough to have in Canada. We have the ecosystem, the companies and the knowledge to do so. Now it's really about that signal.
We've been around for nine years. The question we've always been asked when talking to investors to get capital and secure funding is, “Why do we need a rocket company in Canada when we have SpaceX?”—or pick your favourite. I haven't heard that question for a year. This is really good and refreshing because it means we can focus on building, not surviving.
A strong signal—while ensuring that the signal remains consistent—is important. The launch industry in Canada is a bit like a seed that has been planted. We need to water it and take care of it to ensure that it grows. It's fragile, but one day it will become a very strong tree that will throw shade on other stuff. That's what is really important.