Jamaica or Jupiter, Mexico or the moon? Travel sellers may one day have more options to offer clients as Canada begins the process of expanding its commercial space launch capabilities.

Supporting the space industry in this county “will bring economic opportunity for the Canadian space sector, not only in urban centres but also in regions, encourage innovation and research, support national security, and create good jobs for Canadians,” said the government on Friday.

It could lead also to “space tourism,” which has taken off in the US with several – in some cases high profile (such as William Shatner) – passengers already having left Earth’s orbit (and returned).

Representatives from the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada and Space Canada, organizations which represent the Canadian aerospace industry and Canadian space innovators, joined Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra for the announcement, where it was noted that nine Canadian Space Agency astronauts have flown to space 17 times since the 1980s.

Geographically, Canada is well-positioned to support space launches, it was noted, however, the regulatory framework needs to be modernized to address all aspects associated with this emerging industry,

To that end, the government announced several short and longer-term measures:

• In the interim, which is expected to last three years, the government intends to enable commercial space launch activities in Canada that are safe, secure, and environmentally sustainable, under existing legislation and regulations, on a case-by-case basis.

• During the interim period, Transport Canada will work in close collaboration with other federal departments and agencies to develop robust regulatory requirements, safety standards and licensing conditions necessary for commercial space launch in Canada.

• In addition, the Minister of Transport will establish an interdepartmental review process to leverage expertise from other departments and agencies to ensure that any launch is considered and approved in a manner consistent with domestic legislation, international treaties and conventions, and national security and foreign policy interests of Canada.

A Canadian commercial space program has already attracted interest, says the government. It would more commonly include placing space-based technology (such as satellites) into Earth’s orbit.

“Commercial space launches are a natural evolution of space applications and exploration, and Canada is poised to bring its long history and world-leading reputation to this quickly growing field,” said Alghabra. “Developing a commercial space launch regime for Canada will help make our space sector more competitive and will allow Canadian industry a greater market share of the global space economy.”

 

Jamaica or Jupiter, Mexico or the moon? Travel sellers may one day have more options to offer clients as Canada begins the process of expanding its commercial space launch capabilities.

Supporting the space industry in this county “will bring economic opportunity for the Canadian space sector, not only in urban centres but also in regions, encourage innovation and research, support national security, and create good jobs for Canadians,” said the government on Friday.

It could lead also to “space tourism,” which has taken off in the US with several – in some cases high profile (such as William Shatner) – passengers already having left Earth’s orbit (and returned).

Representatives from the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada and Space Canada, organizations which represent the Canadian aerospace industry and Canadian space innovators, joined Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra for the announcement, where it was noted that nine Canadian Space Agency astronauts have flown to space 17 times since the 1980s.

Geographically, Canada is well-positioned to support space launches, it was noted, however, the regulatory framework needs to be modernized to address all aspects associated with this emerging industry,

To that end, the government announced several short and longer-term measures:

• In the interim, which is expected to last three years, the government intends to enable commercial space launch activities in Canada that are safe, secure, and environmentally sustainable, under existing legislation and regulations, on a case-by-case basis.

• During the interim period, Transport Canada will work in close collaboration with other federal departments and agencies to develop robust regulatory requirements, safety standards and licensing conditions necessary for commercial space launch in Canada.

• In addition, the Minister of Transport will establish an interdepartmental review process to leverage expertise from other departments and agencies to ensure that any launch is considered and approved in a manner consistent with domestic legislation, international treaties and conventions, and national security and foreign policy interests of Canada.

A Canadian commercial space program has already attracted interest, says the government. It would more commonly include placing space-based technology (such as satellites) into Earth’s orbit.

“Commercial space launches are a natural evolution of space applications and exploration, and Canada is poised to bring its long history and world-leading reputation to this quickly growing field,” said Alghabra. “Developing a commercial space launch regime for Canada will help make our space sector more competitive and will allow Canadian industry a greater market share of the global space economy.”