TORONTO — The federal government is committing $200 million toward the development of a Canadian-owned launch pad intended to send satellites into orbit.The funding will be used over the next decade to lease a space launch pad near Canso, which the government says will form the foundation for a future Canadian spaceport.David McGuinty announced the initiative Monday at a laboratory operated by the Canadian Space Agency in the nation’s capital.Canada currently does not have the capability to launch space missions independently and has relied primarily on the United States to send its satellites into orbit.The launch pad project is part of the Liberal government’s broader effort to strengthen Canada’s domestic defence and space industries.The federal government’s 2025 budget earmarked $183 million over three years to establish what it calls sovereign space launch capabilities.
