Evidence of meeting #37 for Science and Research in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was workers.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
With that, we'll start our fourth round with MP DeRidder for five minutes.
Please go ahead.
Conservative
Conservative
Kelly DeRidder Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
I'm good. Thank you.
Did the government do any sort of review with you before they put forward the business case and before committing to the spaceport project?
Conservative
Conservative
Kelly DeRidder Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Basically Canadians are being asked to trust the government's calculations, with no real consultation as to what's supposed to be happening there.
President, Canadian Space Agency
I can't comment on that. I can just go back to the work we did in 2021, as I mentioned, and the work we've done investing in rocket technologies.
Conservative
Kelly DeRidder Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Dr. Piedboeuf, is it fair to say that this facility still cannot operate without significant development and infrastructure work?
Senior Vice-President, Space Programs, Canadian Space Agency
The spaceport still needs development, but that is the case for any spaceport being developed. The spaceport is to prepare to launch a rocket. You need to develop that, and that's what they are doing now.
Conservative
Senior Vice-President, Space Programs, Canadian Space Agency
This is the development they are doing right now.
Conservative
Kelly DeRidder Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
How much of that technology and infrastructure is going to be dependent on foreign expertise or technology?
Senior Vice-President, Space Programs, Canadian Space Agency
It's not so much about foreign expertise. Basically, it's the building. The expertise is known. The knowledge is known. We have that in Canada. It's really about building the spaceport now to be able to launch that, and we have the expertise in Canada to do so.
Conservative
Kelly DeRidder Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Do you know if it's going to be the case that they're going to use Canadian expertise, technology, infrastructure and brains to put it all together?
Senior Vice-President, Space Programs, Canadian Space Agency
That's my expectation. As President Campbell mentioned, we have not been involved directly in the discussion, but yes, my expectation is that it will be Canadian expertise that will be used to develop that.
Conservative
Kelly DeRidder Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Do you know if there's been any sort of commitment or contract signed today? No, okay.
I'm going to go back to you, Ms. Campbell. Do you know if there are any sort of success indicators for the $200-million investment into the launch pad, the spaceport project?
President, Canadian Space Agency
For us, the indicators of success with all space projects are that you can get to space and that you can operate once you're there. For these rocket technologies that we've been investing in, what we're trying to do is de-risk them, to bring them up from a low technology readiness level—sometimes we test them in a near-space environment, and I mentioned our stratospheric balloon campaigns—and then get them to space and back.
We're also increasingly seeing reusable rockets, which is a great thing. Rather than flying them once, they are reusable and repeatable. We can create supply chains and have that resilience in space. That's the goal, and it would be great if we had it in Canada.
Conservative
Kelly DeRidder Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Again though, you haven't been consulted, and you have no oversight or view into the actual development of the spaceport project and the $200 million.
Conservative
Kelly DeRidder Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Your indicator isn't really tied to the $200 million that the government has invested for a concrete pad. Is that fair to say?
President, Canadian Space Agency
I don't know if it is. I'm just sharing what the Canadian Space Agency looks for when we try to advance technologies.
Conservative
Kelly DeRidder Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Right now, as it stands, it looks like taxpayers committed to funding a project before any sort of commercial demand was proven or had gone through your department.
Can I accurately say that there's been no real analysis through any sort of consultation on this $200 million and this spaceport project today?
President, Canadian Space Agency
If I could, I'll just add a bit of a nuance to when you say “no consultation”. We've actually been investing in rocket technology for some years in anticipation of the U.S. becoming crowded. There are coastal spaceports. There are literal traffic jams. They're actually looking at inland spaceports, which are a terrible idea because they are close to populations. Canada is a natural place to have spaceports, so we were ready and trying to invest in the technologies so that when there is a sovereign space launch, our companies are ready to have a launch from Canadian soil.