Canadian Space Agency

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA; French: Agence spatiale canadienne, ASC) is Canada's national space agency. It was created in 1990 by the Canadian Space Agency Act.

As of 2026^[update], the president of the CSA is Lisa Campbell, who began her role on September 3, 2020. The agency reports to the minister of industry. Its main office is at the John H. Chapman Space Centre in Longueuil, Quebec. The CSA also has offices in Ottawa, Ontario, and smaller offices in Houston, Washington, and Paris.

History

The Canadian space program began after the Second World War. In the 1950s, Canada started small projects, including the Black Brant rocket, which led to the creation of Canada's first satellite, Alouette 1, in 1962. This made Canada the third country to launch a satellite into space. The satellite worked for ten years, much longer than expected.

Because of these achievements, Canada created the Canadian Space Agency in 1990. The agency's goal is to use space for peaceful purposes, advance space science, and bring benefits to Canadians. Canada also works closely with other space agencies, like the European Space Agency (ESA), sharing knowledge and resources.

Presidents

• 1989 – May 4, 1992—Larkin Kerwin
• May 4, 1992 – July 15, 1994—Roland Doré
• November 21, 1994 – 2001—William MacDonald Evans
• November 22, 2001 – November 28, 2005—Marc Garneau
• April 12, 2007 – December 31, 2007—Larry J. Boisvert
• January 1, 2008 - September 2, 2008—Guy Bujold
• September 2, 2008 – February 1, 2013—Steven MacLean
• February 2, 2013 – August 5, 2013—Gilles Leclerc (interim)^{[citation needed]}
• August 6, 2013 – November 3, 2014—Walter Natynczyk
• November 3, 2014 - March 9, 2015—Luc Brûlé, Interim
• March 9, 2015 - September 14, 2020—Sylvain Laporte
• September 14, 2020 – present—Lisa Campbell

Cooperation with the European Space Agency

Canada has worked with the European Space Agency (ESA) since the 1970s. This partnership allows Canadian companies to join in ESA projects and ensures Canada gets fair returns from its contributions. The head of Canada's team at ESA is the president of the Canadian Space Agency.

Canadian space program

The Canadian space program is managed by the Canadian Space Agency. Canada has played an important role in space exploration by working closely with groups like ESA and NASA. Canada is known for its astronauts and satellites, as well as important technology like the Canadarm on the Space Shuttle and Canadarm2 on the International Space Station.

Canada’s big contribution to the International Space Station is the Mobile Servicing System, worth C$1.3 billion. This includes Canadarm2, Dextre, a mobile base system, and robotics workstations. These tools help astronauts work more efficiently in space. Canada also created the Orbiter Boom Sensor System, which checked the Space Shuttle for damage while it was in orbit.

The Canadian Space Agency also does science research on the International Space Station.

CSA astronauts

See also: Canadian Astronaut Corps

Canada has held four contests to choose astronauts. The first contest in 1983 chose six astronauts, including Roberta Bondar and Marc Garneau. A second contest in 1992 chose four more, such as Chris Hadfield. In 2009, two new astronauts, Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques, were selected. The latest contest in 2016 chose Joshua Kutryk and Jennifer Sidey.

Ten Canadian astronauts have flown on 18 missions, including trips on NASA’s Space Shuttle, Roscosmos Soyuz spacecraft, and one Artemis program mission. In 2012, Chris Hadfield flew to the International Space Station. In 2016, it was announced that David Saint-Jacques would fly to the station in 2018. Jeremy Hansen will be part of the Artemis II mission around the Moon.

Canadian satellites

Canada has launched many satellites for research and communication. Companies like Telesat have launched satellites such as the Anik and Nimiq satellites. Universities and research groups, like UTIAS-SFL, have also built small satellites for science projects.

International projects

Canada works with many countries on space projects. Canadian technology is used on satellites, rovers, and telescopes around the world. For example, Canada provided a key part for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

Facilities

The Canadian Space Agency uses several buildings and launch sites in Canada and around the world, including the John H. Chapman Space Centre in Longueuil, Quebec, and launch sites in Manitoba, Florida, and India.

Future programs

After launching Radarsat-2 in 2007 and finishing Canada’s CA$1.4 billion work on the International Space Station, the Canadian Space Agency needed new projects. In 2008, it started designing the RADARSAT Constellation, a group of three satellites to watch Earth, which launched in 2019. Canada also got funding to design robots for the Moon or Mars.

In 2019, Canada joined the Lunar Gateway, a small space station orbiting the Moon, becoming the first partner in this project. Canada agreed to spend C$2.05 billion over 24 years to build the next Canadarm 3, the biggest single investment Canada has ever made in space. Canada is also making a small lunar rover with NASA to explore the Moon’s poles. This rover will carry science tools from both NASA and Canada and is set to launch by 2029.

Rockets

Canada does not build its own rockets to launch spacecraft into space. Instead, it uses rockets from other countries like the U.S., India, and Russia. Canada is looking into building its own small satellite launcher. In 2011, the Canadian Space Agency looked at places like Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, or reopening the Churchill Rocket Research Range in Manitoba for launching small satellites. Another option is CFB Suffield. Building such a launcher would take about 10 to 12 years, but no money has been announced for this yet.

In 2026, the government agreed to spend over C$200 million to rent a launch pad for 10 years at Spaceport Nova Scotia. This will help Canada have its own space launch ability, especially since a big part of Canada’s economy depends on satellites. The Defence Department and Canadian Armed Forces will mainly use this launch site, but the Canadian Space Agency might use it too.

Controversy

In March 2022, it was reported that some people from a foreign country may have tried to get secret information from the Canadian Space Agency. A person named Wanping Zheng, who worked there for many years, was accused of helping a foreign company by putting special software on computers and making deals for a satellite station. These actions happened even after warnings from security experts. However, it is important to know that these accusations have not yet been proven in court.