The Canadian government has announced that it intends to develop domestic space launch capabilities in an effort to rely less on "foreign countries" for space capabilities.Minister of Transportation Steven MacKinnon announced the Canadian Space Launch Act on Tuesday, an act that will allow the government to "safely regulate and oversee space launch and re-entry activities conducted from Canadian territory, while also establishing the necessary authorities to provide regulatory certainty to industry, support investment and infrastructure development, and strengthen Canada’s ability to meet its international obligations related to space."The statement also mentions how Canada is the only G7 country without domestic space launch capabilities and must "rely on foreign countries, most often the United States, to reach orbit."There have been proposals in the past to develop spaceports in Canada, most recently from companies like NordSpace, who have proposed a spaceport in Newfoundland but have seen limited government backing.."A long-term Canadian commercial space launch and re-entry regulatory framework would help make our space sector more competitive," MacKinnon was quoted as saying about the recent announcement.The government statement also mentions how a domestic spaceport would "drive billions in investments, create good-paying jobs, increase Canada’s sovereignty, reduce our economy’s reliance on the United States, and support a commercial space launch and re-entry industry that could be worth $40 billion."The push for more space sovereignty comes as Canadian interest in space has reached a fever pitch after Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen became the first non-American to orbit the moon. Hansen's impressive feat has made the idea of more independent Canadian space programs all the more attractive. Although Canada has historically punched above its weight in its achievements in space, many of these have been in association with NASA, not independently.Companies like NordSpace, MDA Space, and TeleStat will all be hoping that announcements like this from the government won't just signal easing of regulations but further funding for the Canadian space industry.
