Calian Marks a Decade of Growth as CEO Kevin Ford Retires

Calian Group Ltd. (TSX: CGY) has wrapped up its fiscal year 2025 with record revenue of $774 million—more than triple its 2015 total—and a leadership transition on the horizon. Longtime CEO Kevin Ford is stepping down at year’s end after guiding the company from a Canadian-focused service provider into a global solutions firm with 25% of revenue now derived from products and nearly half its operations outside Canada. In its Q4 results released November 26, 2025, Calian reported a 12% year-over-year revenue increase to $203 million, split evenly between organic growth and acquisitions. Adjusted EBITDA rose 2% to $24.3 million, while net profit rebounded to $20.6 million from a $0.6 million loss a year earlier.

Despite a 15% dip in full-year adjusted EBITDA—attributed to underperformance in its IT and Cyber Solutions segment—Ford sees opportunity ahead. He pointed to Canada’s newly announced defence investments as a potential boon for Calian’s healthcare, training, and defence services, though the company remains cautious about baking those prospects into 2026 projections due to uncertain contract timelines. Incoming CEO Patrick Houston emphasized transparency over traditional guidance, instead outlining a long-term goal of 10–15% annual revenue growth fueled by both organic initiatives and strategic acquisitions.

UAH Students Shine in International CanSat Competition

While Canada wasn’t in the spotlight, student talent from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) certainly was. Three UAH CanSat teams—BlueStreak, Cosmos, and another unnamed entry—secured first, second, and sixth places in the 2025 International CanSat competition, held across Monterey and Staunton, Virginia. CanSat challenges university teams to design and build soda-can-sized payloads capable of performing real-time atmospheric measurements during a high-altitude balloon or rocket flight. The event, which draws competitors from around the world, tests everything from telemetry and data recovery to parachute deployment and system reliability.

UAH’s success isn’t just a win for the American South; it reflects the kind of hands-on aerospace education that feeds directly into North America’s broader space ecosystem—including Canada’s own growing need for skilled engineers and technicians. These student-built systems often mirror the constraints and requirements of actual satellite missions, making the competition a proving ground for future industry leaders. Though not a Canadian story per se, it’s a reminder that the pipeline of space talent is continental, and excellence anywhere lifts the field everywhere. And honestly, it’s hard not to cheer for students who can pack a working atmospheric lab into something that wouldn’t look out of place in your recycling bin.

ISS Makes History with All Eight Ports Occupied

In a first for the International Space Station, all eight of its docking and berthing ports are simultaneously occupied as of December 1, 2025. The milestone was achieved after Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft was reinstalled on the Earth-facing port of the Unity module. The station now hosts an impressive lineup: two SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicles, the aforementioned Cygnus XL, JAXA’s HTV-X1 cargo craft, two Russian Soyuz crew capsules, and two Progress supply ships. This crowded configuration underscores the ISS’s role as a true international hub—though it also requires careful coordination to avoid what astronauts might diplomatically call “parking congestion.”

The feat highlights the increasing traffic in low Earth orbit, driven by both commercial resupply missions and national crew rotations. While temporary, this full-house scenario demonstrates the station’s operational maturity and the intricate ballet of orbital logistics that keeps it running. With the ISS expected to remain operational until at least 2030, such moments may become more common—though still remarkable. After all, managing eight visiting vehicles isn’t just about docking; it’s about ensuring power, communications, and safety for every single one. It’s a small marvel of engineering and diplomacy, 400 kilometers above our heads.

Citations

• “Calian reports balanced growth with increased revenue as CEO Kevin Ford retires” – https://spaceq.ca/calian-reports-balanced-growth-with-increased-revenue-as-ceo-kevin-ford-retires/
• “UAH CanSat and rover teams notch winning performances in 2025 national and international competitions” – https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/UAH_CanSat_and_rover_teams_notch_winning_performances_in_2025_national_and_international_competitions_999.html
• “Space Station First: All Docking Ports Fully Occupied, 8 Spacecraft on Orbit” – https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/12/01/space-station-first-all-docking-ports-fully-occupied-8-spacecraft-on-orbit/