Want to go to space? Canada’s ‘door is open’ for future passenger flights with new plan

Canadians dreaming of space travel might one day be able to launch from within their home borders, as the government announces a new strategy for commercial space launches.

The first step, though, will be focusing on more Canadian launches for things like satellites.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said the new plan wants to see more commercial space launches in Canada to meet the needs of the emerging space industry — including developing a regulatory framework and establishing review processes.

Friday’s announcement was specifically about “interim” steps that the government said in a press release will review launches on a “case-by-case basis.”

“But today’s announcement means the door is open for passenger space flights in the future,” Nadine Ramadan, spokesperson for Alghabra, said in an email to Global News.

While Canada has had domestic launches in the past out of Manitoba, they’ve only been sub-orbital — meaning they never went fully into orbit.

“For many years, Canadian satellites have launched from sites in other countries,” Alghabra said, speaking at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) outside of Montreal on Friday.

“It’s time for us to start launching them right here at home.”

With this new framework, Canada will now be empowered to make those orbital launches happen, according to former astronaut and current Liberal MP Marc Garneau.

4:37
SpaceX successfully launches Falcon Heavy rocket for U.S. Space Force mission

Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques said there are several factors that make Canada ideal for commercial space launches.

“Canada … is ideally positioned to launch particularly satellites that are better served by an orbit which is kind of pointing from to from pole to pole … while the Earth spins underneath it,” Saint-Jacques explained.

Because of this, Canada has been receiving requests “not only from domestic Canadian companies,” but also from companies “from around the…