Why 2021 is Canada’s Moment in Space

By Jennifer Marron
Published May 14, 2021 | 33 min listen

Space is having a moment right now.

In February, NASA’s robotic explorer made a historic landing on Mars. In April, Space X successfully launched its inaugural crewed mission to the International Space Station. And in 2023, a Canadian astronaut will join Artemis II, the first crewed mission to the moon since 1972. High above the pandemic turmoil playing out on Earth, space has once again become an engine for excitement, activity and human ambition.

It’s also big business. Space industry investments reached USD$25.6 billion in 2020, the third highest in the decade, according to a recent report. Morgan Stanley estimates that the global space industry could generate revenue of more than USD$1 trillion by 2040.

In the latest episode of Disruptors, co-host Trinh Theresa Do speaks with several leading voices from Canada’s space industry, to gain their insights on what lies ahead for our country’s space sector. The consensus? Canada is well positioned to lead into the next galaxy, so to speak. Here’s some of what we learned.

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Space isn’t a new frontier for Canada – our strong reputation precedes us

Over the past sixty years, Canada has punched above its weight in space, having made early decisions to focus on robotics and satellite/earth observation technologies. Through the development of the Canadarm and other innovations, it built and still enjoys a world-leading reputation in those fields.

“Canada chose strategically a few decades ago to become strong in radar-based earth observation, based on our challenges as a country and our desire to monitor all of our large, broad coastal areas with three maritime coasts,” said Mike Greenley, CEO of Brampton, Ont. based MDA, who’s iconic Canadarm graces the back of our five dollar bill. “I would say I’m a bit biased, but I think that was a wise decision. You can’t be part of everything but you need to pick your shots and then stand behind them.”

Lower launch costs are opening opportunities for new entrants

The decreased cost of launch has enabled a new generation of startups to enter the space economy. Where the cost to launch into space was once USD$18,000 a kilogram, it’s now down to $3,000 a kilogram—and could fall as low as $500, according to projections.

One company taking advantage of this shift is Silicon Valley startup Swarm Technologies, whose tiny communication satellites promise affordable global connectivity.

“The market, in terms of our customer base, has grown considerably over the last four years, so the pull on the demand side is actually growing and has grown since we started, which is awesome for us,” said Sara Spangelo, Swarm’s Winnipeg-born co-founder and CEO.

The future is bright with news of the Canadarm3

Today, our space sector employs 10,000 highly skilled workers and generated $2.3 billion for Canada’s economy in 2017. The advent of commercial space has brought with it new opportunities and a surge of entrepreneurs who are investing significant resources into exploring the unknown, said Manon Larocque, Executive Director, Strategic Policy and Domestic Affairs, at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

What began decades ago with the Canadarm design and operations on the international space station is now extending well into the future, with December’s announcement that MDA would develop a third-generation, AI-based Canadarm3, destined for “Gateway,” a NASA-led lunar-orbiting international space station.

“Space challenges us to think about our place in the universe, it pushes us to further explore, constantly innovate. Right now is a perfect time to be doing this with some global opportunities on the horizon,” said Larocque.


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