Science and Research Committee on May 25th, 2026

[Lisa Campbell]

I was there in 2021 but not at the spaceport. I was in Halifax to meet with representatives of the State Space Agency of Ukraine, who came to talk about bringing their rockets to Canada.

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

You have a great deal of experience in procurement in your career as a civil servant. Looking at pictures of the gravel pit, does that pass your gut check as to whether it's worth $200 million?

[Lisa Campbell]

I'm not sure what pictures are being referred to.

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

When do you expect the next successful orbital launch would be from the space pad?

[Lisa Campbell]

We were just at an event with Reaction Dynamics, one of the companies whose hybrid rocket technology we're helping fund. I know there's hope to have a rocket launch from Canada by 2028. That's the goal. I think I mentioned that earlier.

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

I just want to clarify the role of the Ukrainian space agency in this, because you mentioned it a couple of times. I want to understand what we were relying on the Ukrainian space agency for.

[Lisa Campbell]

It probably won't be possible now because of the war, but they were going to bring in mid-sized Ukrainian rockets, proven rocket technology, in partnership with the spaceport, Maritime Launch Services. That has stopped, but I think the company—

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

It was before the war, I understand, in 2021 or so.

[Lisa Campbell]

Exactly.

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

I understand that part, but the Ukrainian space agency doesn't have the best record. It suffered from a series of losses, scandals, mismanagement, malfeasance and corruption. It had a 10-year project that failed in Brazil, allegations of deals with North Korea, a breach of contract case with Boeing that would cost the company $200 million, and theft of over $10 million from Export Development Canada.

From your perspective, how confident were you that they were going to deliver the technology Canada depends on?

[Lisa Campbell]

We were simply there to support, space agency to space agency. At the time, what was of interest was proven rocket technologies, in other words, rockets that had flown and had executed on the mission. At the time, there weren't many in the world who could do this, and having that partnership would have helped the company. That was the purpose of it.

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

By that time, all of those things I just mentioned had already been uncovered—before 2021—so it doesn't look like it would have had a good record of delivering.

Looking back on this decision, do you think you were confident at the time that they were going to deliver on this, given the series of scandals and mismanagement?

[Lisa Campbell]

I'm not familiar with what you're referring to, sir. I just know that at the time, the intent was to use a proven rocket.

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

Okay. It doesn't look like you're familiar with a lot.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thank you.

With that, we'll go to MP Dandurand for five minutes. Go ahead.

[Marianne Dandurand, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Thank you for being here and for speaking to us about this fascinating field, in which Canada is a leader. It is truly inspiring to have you here and to have the opportunity to ask you questions.

I would like to start by talking about the currently relatively unstable geopolitical context, as well as the importance, in your view, of having sovereign capabilities in space.

Furthermore, how are we positioning ourselves in light of the emergence of privately owned satellite constellations on an international scale?

[Lisa Campbell]

The space sector is more competitive now. What's wonderful is that, initially, there were only public space agencies—there were about a dozen of us—and Canada was able to make a name for itself by being one of those early agencies. Now there are viable commercial companies, which is wonderful because there is growth. However, that means it's more congested. There are more operators and more space debris. So, the need to operate responsibly is becoming increasingly important for everyone in order to preserve this precious environment.

The other thing is that we are dependent. Our modern societies depend on space infrastructure. Not a single day could go by without access to space for banking, for maps, for all our systems here on Earth. Earlier, I mentioned the Canadian company trying to create Internet resilience in space, because the current system in the ocean is becoming increasingly fragile. So this will strengthen it. However, we see that we are increasingly dependent on the invisible infrastructure in space. It is invaluable to us.

There is also space exploration. To go further, we must ensure that the environment in low Earth orbit remains peaceful and predictable. The agency has a system that constantly monitors space debris and what is happening on Earth. We share data with our partners as well as our flight plans to ensure that everything is well coordinated.

[Marianne Dandurand, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Thank you. I still have a few more questions on that topic, but you are steering me toward another subject.

I'm from the Eastern Townships, a region that is quite hilly, to put it mildly, and we have trouble getting cell service.

Is satellite capacity the solution of the future? If so, how long do you think it will take to roll out service in rural or mountainous areas? How would that work?

[Lisa Campbell]

This is undoubtedly a solution for the future. I would even go a step further and say that it's also a matter of security. I mentioned our quantum mission earlier. Current encryption methods will not last. Soon, we will need quantum computing to secure our communications. Our goal is to advance this technology and test it in space. I also mentioned the HydRON-DS project, which will effectively enable optical communications from space using lasers that are much faster and much more reliable.

Mr. Piedboeuf, do you have anything else to add?

[Jean-Claude Piedboeuf]

Yes. We are designing satellites that will enable what is known as direct-to-device technology, or D2D. This will allow for mobile phone communication directly from a satellite. This will improve telephone connectivity.

As for the Internet, technologies already exist that can be purchased from the U.S. There is also Telesat, which is building sovereign capacity with government support and technologies that the Canadian Space Agency helped develop. This will provide access to high-speed Internet everywhere, not only in the Eastern Townships, but everywhere else in Canada, including the Arctic.

[Marianne Dandurand, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

On a related note, since we are talking about rural areas, could this satellite capability help us, for example, with precision agriculture? Could it help make food cheaper to produce in the long run, and thereby make food on grocery store shelves more affordable? Furthermore, could this technology help us predict disasters, such as wildfires? Are these the kinds of very practical, everyday applications that your research can provide?

[Lisa Campbell]

Yes, absolutely. We are already doing this using our satellites. They are very useful for precision agriculture and biodiversity. There are numerous applications on the ground. What's more, we know there's huge demand for these products. So this is now integrated into agricultural practices. It allows for more precise use of resources—especially water—and helps farmers determine the best time to plant.

[Marianne Dandurand, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

I will take the opportunity to ask one last question, to which you may respond in writing.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

I'm sorry. You're out of time.

[Marianne Dandurand, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Okay.

Thank you.