Canada Space
Canada is pushing initiatives to strengthen its space sector capabilities. With a total planned expenditure of over USD $650 million in 2026-27 by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the sector is potentially conducive for U.S. businesses looking to capture market share, anchor subsidiaries, or integrate into a heavily government funded sector. The sector contributed $2.74 billion to Canada’s GDP and employed over 14,000 highly skilled space professionals in 2024, making it a highly sophisticated and lucrative ecosystem with a total revenue of $3.61 billion.
While the CSA’s 2026–27 Departmental Plan emphasizes the continuation of ongoing initiatives such as the Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP), RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM), WildFireSat, and the Arctic Observation Mission (AOM), new funding has been allocated towards multilateral channels. As the only non-European cooperating member of European Space Agency (ESA), Canada invested an additional $480 million of new funding in ESA programs in 2025. This new investment will ensure reciprocal contracts to advance Canada’s Defense Industrial Strategy. These contracts alongside Canada’s deep NASA collaboration on initiatives such as Canadarm program, Canadarm3 for the Lunar Gateway, and the Artemis lunar missions will drive surging demand for Earth observation, satellite communications, and space navigation technologies. The U.S. Commercial Service team in Canada is ready to support U.S. aerospace firms who wish to capture or increase their share of the space market.
Canada’s innovation in the space sector is also being advanced through the Space Technology Development Program (STDP), as Canadian aerospace companies like MDA Space, Telesat, GHGSat, and Magellan Aerospace continue to provide expertise in orbital robotics, satellite communications, and geospatial data analytics to major international missions. In April 2026, the Canadian government introduced the Canadian Space Launch Act in Parliament for space launch and re-entry activities in Canada. The CSA in 2026-27 will also support the development of Digital Earth Canada, an open-source Earth observation data platform prototype. To ensure the ongoing focus on Earth observation capabilities and cooperation, the CSA will host the National Forum on Earth Observation in October 2026. The forum and the other initiatives highlighted above allow U.S. firms to expand partnerships in the development of space technologies in Canada. Other Canadian events include 2026 ASAR/RCM Users’ Forum, and Spacebound 2026.
The U.S. Commercial Service in Canada is closely following the developments in Canada’s Space Sector. We stand ready to support advocacy and export promotion efforts. For further information, please contact Senior Commercial Specialist Tracey Ford