Science and Research Committee on May 25th, 2026

[Lisa Campbell]

Thank you for the question.

To those of you who watched the uncrewed flight Artemis I, it was a very complex rocket. It cost $4.2 billion and supported 24,000 jobs in the United States. However, that rocket will probably be modified over time to be simpler and faster because the United States and the rest of the world are interested in a more rapid cadence of missions. The most important piece was flying a crewed mission to show that, with all these investments, we are able to return humans to deep space after more than 50 years.

I mentioned earlier that Canada's industrial contributions in space robotics are why we were there. We signed a treaty and said that for our contribution of advanced space robotics, we would have two flights and some science on Gateway. There you have it. We received one of the most important benefits—not only astronaut flight but also all the science that was done and the CubeSats that were launched.

It's about being part of an international partnership with companies...and there are hundreds of them that have been part of the work here on the ground in support of advancing our space robotics. There's a prime, but hundreds of smaller companies are part of that as well. It also positions Canada very well for the next step, which is a permanent crewed presence on the moon.

[Aslam Rana, Liberal, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Thank you.

As you mentioned earlier, Canada's space sector is now contributing $3.4 billion to GDP, and it employs nearly 14,000 people.

[Lisa Campbell]

Yes. Those are direct jobs, and it's 28,000 if you count indirect jobs.

[Aslam Rana, Liberal, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Thank you.

Where are the strongest opportunities right now, and what would help the sector grow further?

[Lisa Campbell]

That's a wonderful question.

We look at that very carefully because, as I mentioned earlier, space is increasingly competitive. More than 90 countries have investments of some form, both for their own services but also to contribute to international missions. We want to make sure that what we bring is unique and sought after.

We've been very successful with space robotics. We are the best in the world, especially because we have 25 years of operations in space robotics. No one else has that history and legacy, but we want to keep it up because it is sought after—we know that—for in-orbit servicing, for satellite servicing, for debris management, for logistics on the surface of the moon and then also for space stations that are planned in low-earth orbit and beyond.

We are also very good at synthetic aperture radar. Our RADARSAT Constellation Mission, which I mentioned, allows us to see through clouds and at night, and we share this data with the world. In return, we get valuable satellite data that helps us.

There's a wonderful international charter of space and major disasters, of which we're a founding member. It's the world's eyes in the sky that come together to help in emergency management. It's very valuable. However, we wouldn't be able to participate in that if we weren't good contributors, so we also want to keep up that earth observation. We also need it for our country, the second-largest country on the planet. We will definitely need it.

We've seen the demand growing for earth observation data, but there are other areas that will be in high demand: power generation, logistics on the moon, food production and health. There are areas where we could achieve investments that both help us here on earth, for example, providing health services to people in remote communities and providing them with autonomy—and we've done a bit of work in that area and it's been sought after here on earth—but that also have applications for astronauts. It's why we focused a lot on life sciences.

[Aslam Rana, Liberal, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Thank you for your comprehensive answer.

Do you have something to add?

[Jean-Claude Piedboeuf]

I will add to that satellite communication. Canada was one of the first countries, and we depend on satellite communication. As we can see, we have one of the very best companies in the world doing that now.

[Lisa Campbell]

Can I just mention LEO PNT? More and more there is a demand as well for low-earth-orbit position, navigation and timing. Current position navigation and timing can be subjected to hacking, and it is vulnerable, so there's a huge demand for low-earth-orbit position, navigation and timing. Then there's also a demand for capacity in the north, which we're very good at and could do more of.

[Aslam Rana, Liberal, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Thank you very much.

The space environment is changing fast, commercially, geopolitically and technologically, so where do you see the CSA's priorities heading over the next decade?

[Lisa Campbell]

We hope the space environment will remain safe for all of us to use and do even more in. I mentioned earlier the 40,000 pieces of space debris bigger than 10 centimetres that are in low-earth orbit at the moment. Those are dangerous. Irresponsible conduct by one actor, whether it's in any satellite missile test or other, creates thousands of pieces of debris that affect us all. We've had to manoeuvre the International Space Station to avoid pieces of debris.

With planned mega-constellations those risks increase, so responsible conduct in space and investments in technologies like reusable rockets, as we've done, and doing that more, are important.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

The time is up for MP Rana. You can come back in the next round.

We will go to MP Blanchette-Joncas for two and a half minutes. Please go ahead.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Ms. Campbell, does the CSA acknowledge that the U.S. “America first” policies now pose a direct risk to Canadian scientific sovereignty regarding space?

[Lisa Campbell]

There have been big changes recently, not just for the Canadian space program but for others as well. We're holding ongoing discussions with the Canadian companies we deal with to find out how we can support them.

However, this situation reminds us of the importance of having other partnerships. I made reference earlier to the European Space Agency. It was my predecessors, in 1979, who thought it was a good idea to have many friends and struck this partnership.

In November, we invested 400% more, a historic amount, because it's a way for our small and medium-sized businesses to access the European market, and they greatly appreciate that. It allows them to compete and win contracts. For every dollar we invest, they get three dollars in revenue.

We've also increased our partnerships with Japan, India, the Arctic countries, as you also pointed out, and many others. We're looking for more partners.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

I hear what you're saying, Ms. Campbell. However, I was talking about the Americans.

On a scale of one to 10, how would you characterize Canadian leadership in space?

[Lisa Campbell]

As I said earlier, we used to be one of 12 countries in space. Now there are about 90.

When it comes to money, statistics show we're comparable to other countries. We're high on the list. Canada is still one of the few countries with the capacity to implement and manage systems. Every day, we depend on space.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Again, on a scale of one to 10, where do you see the leadership?

[Lisa Campbell]

It depends on the fields.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

What's the overall picture?

[Lisa Campbell]

I apologize for the non-specific answer. It's not that I don't want to answer your question, but, in reality, countries are very good at different things. Canada is known for space robotics and operating satellites. There are other areas, however, in which we could also invest.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Has Canada ever led a major international space mission?

[Lisa Campbell]

[Technical difficulty—Editor] lead a major mission. Europe has selected a Canadian company to lead a mission to create an Internet connection in space, to compete with SpaceX.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Has Canada ever led a major international mission? If so, which one?

[Lisa Campbell]

Yes, the one I just described.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

When was that?

[Lisa Campbell]

It's called HydRON-DS.