Canada From Orbit: Jeremy Hansen Returns Home; CSA Funds Lunar Research, Launch Sector Grows

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Canada From Orbit: Jeremy Hansen Returns Home; CSA Funds Lunar Research, Launch Sector Grows

Canada From Orbit

Artemis II Astronaut Jeremy Hansen Completes Cross-Canada Tour

Astronaut Jeremy Hansen returned home to Canada for his first solo tour since completing the Artemis II mission, from June 8 to 12. The tour took him across the country—Ottawa, Longueuil, Halifax, and Toronto—where he met with parliamentarians, military personnel, and Canadians eager to learn about space exploration and the lunar mission.

In Ottawa, Hansen attended the swearing-in of Governor General Louise Arbour at Parliament Hill, where the new Governor General recognized him in her inaugural speech. He also met with the Speakers of both the Senate and House of Commons and attended question period. As an active Royal Canadian Air Force pilot, Hansen then spoke with fellow RCAF colleagues at the Carling campus, sharing how his aviation background shaped his path to lunar exploration.

His journey continued to Halifax, where he participated in a townhall with personnel and families at Canadian Forces Base Shearwater. Hansen discussed his years as a fighter pilot and his experience around the Moon. During the visit, he took to the air, piloting a Cyclone helicopter with the base’s aviation team.

Image shared by @maritimelaunch | Source: @maritimelaunch

While in Longueuil, Hansen visited Canadian Space Agency headquarters for meetings and filming sessions that will feature in upcoming CSA content.

Beyond the astronaut spotlight, the CSA continued advancing Canada’s space ambitions. On June 30, NASA astronauts Chris Williams and Jessica Meir performed a spacewalk to replace a failed joint on Canadarm2, the robotic arm that has served the International Space Station for over 25 years and continues operating 10 years beyond its original design life. CSA astronaut Jenni Gibbons served as CAPCOM, directing communications throughout the operation. Following the repair, Canadarm2 is expected to resume normal duties.

The CSA also advanced Canada’s role in deep-space exploration. On June 9, the agency awarded $2 million in contracts to three companies—Canadian Strategic Missions Corporation, SpaceDIRT, and Volta Space Technologies Inc.—to research critical technologies for the Moon. Over the next ten months, these firms will assess systems for managing lunar soil and generating and distributing power on the lunar surface, laying groundwork for sustainable human and robotic missions.

On the Earth-observation front, the CSA awarded three contracts valued at up to $804,000 each to Calian, Kepler, and MDA Space to develop concept studies for the ground segment of Canada’s next-generation satellite system, strengthening Canada’s leadership in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology and securing essential Earth-observation data for national and international use.

Image shared by @csa_asc | Source: @csa_asc

In a show of international partnership, CSA astronaut David Kutryk trained with the Japanese space agency JAXA, deepening Canada’s collaboration with Japan on human spaceflight and orbital operations.

Canada’s Launch Sector Scales Up: Factory Opening, Suborbital Success, Sovereign Funding

NordSpace Opens Rocket Factory 1

On June 16, NordSpace opened Rocket Factory 1 (RF-1), marking a significant step toward production of its Tundra medium-lift rocket. The facility is designed to scale NordSpace’s manufacturing capabilities and support its ambition to launch Tundra as early as 2028. RF-1 represents the company’s transition from development to production-ready operations for Canada’s sovereign light- and medium-lift launch programme.

Nordspace – Rocket Factory 1 – Aerial Drone Shot NordSpace – Rocket Factory 1 – Interior Render of Tundra Vehicle Production Line NordSpace – Rocket Factory 1 (RF-1) New Rocket Factory 1 campus marks… | Source: EIN Presswire

The Atlantic Spaceport Complex in Newfoundland and Labrador is advancing in parallel. Construction at SLC-01 (orbital launch pad site) and SLC-02 (suborbital and light-lift site) is progressing rapidly. SLC-01 will support medium-lift launches with orbital inclinations ranging from 44 to 105 degrees, offering access to polar, sun-synchronous, and equatorial trajectories over the Atlantic Ocean. The spaceport has been approved for up to 20 launches per year, the highest cadence of any Canadian launch site. Tundra’s orbital debut is targeted for 2028, with Taiga suborbital missions beginning sooner.

Nordspace – Rocket Factory 1 – Aerial Drone Shot NordSpace – Rocket Factory 1 – Interior Render of Tundra Vehicle Production Line NordSpace – Rocket Factory 1 (RF-1) New Rocket Factory 1 campus marks… | Source: EIN Presswire

Maritime Launch Completes Suborbital Launch from Spaceport Nova Scotia

On June 10, Maritime Launch Services Inc. successfully completed a suborbital launch demonstration from Spaceport Nova Scotia in partnership with T-Minus Engineering B.V., advancing Canada’s path toward orbital launch operations. The launch took place at 8:51 a.m. AST from Little Dover, Nova Scotia.

The Barracuda is a hypersonic, single-stage, solid-fuel suborbital vehicle capable of carrying payloads of up to 40 kilograms to altitudes of approximately 80 kilometres. While two suborbital flights had been initially planned for the demonstration, operations concluded after the first flight to allow the team to review mission data and incorporate lessons learned into future activities. Initial telemetry indicated nominal performance during the powered phase before an anomaly occurred late in the boost phase.

The launch drew attendance from representatives of federal, provincial, and municipal governments, regulatory agencies, Mi’kmaw nations, NATO STARLIFT, industry partners, and community members. Notably, Artemis II astronaut Jeremy Hansen was present, pressing the ignition button before spending time with local students from Guysborough County, sharing his space experience and inspiring the next generation of explorers.

Reaction Dynamics Advocates for Sovereign Launch Capacity

Reaction Dynamics highlighted the strategic importance of responsive launch for Canada in a recent piece featuring Chad English, the company’s Senior Director of Government Programs, who brings 27 years of experience across space and defence, including work on the Space Shuttle program. English framed Canadian access to space as a matter of national security and resilience, pointing to the Radarsat-2 launch delays between 2000 and 2007—when Canada was denied launch by close American allies and ultimately had to launch via Russia—as a cautionary precedent.

With Canada’s growing dependence on space-based capabilities for communications, remote sensing, and intelligence, coupled with global launch-capacity bottlenecks and a shifting geopolitical landscape, English argued that sovereign launch capacity is no longer optional but essential. RD’s focus on responsive, reusable launch architecture aligns with this strategic imperative.

Canada Rocket Company Awarded $8.3M DND Grant for Sovereign Launch

Canada Rocket Company (CRC) was selected by the Government of Canada as a key partner to deliver sovereign space-launch capabilities, securing an $8.3 million grant through the Department of National Defence’s IDEaS Program. The funding will accelerate development of CRC’s responsive light-lift vehicle, designed to evolve into a medium-lift rocket capable of deploying up to 6,500 kilograms to low Earth orbit by the early 2030s.

CRC has rapidly assembled a leadership team with over 60 years of combined orbital launch experience, recruiting senior engineers from Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, SpaceX, Orbex, Tesla, and Pangea Propulsion. The company is constructing a 7,600-square-foot engine development facility in Toronto to build its 700 kN methalox E-1 engine, exemplifying the Defence Industrial Strategy’s commitment to building sovereign capabilities on Canadian soil. CEO Hugh Kolias emphasized that the award reflects the government’s confidence in CRC’s vision to secure investments that will enable deployment of sovereign medium-lift rocket launch capabilities by 2034, while creating high-tech Canadian jobs and strengthening the national defence industrial base.

Citations

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Robo Chris
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Robo Chris is a collection of API calls, filters, and searches - bolted together with magic and love. He preforms instructed information gathering, and does a fair bit of writing too. Everything he creates gets submitted to our editor-in-chief, actual Chris, for approval and publication!