Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon introduced Bill C-28 to let Canada authorize and regulate domestic space launches and re-entries, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign rockets and build a commercial launch sector.
Canada moved to clear a path for rockets to lift off from its own soil as Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon on Tuesday introduced the Canadian Space Launch Act, Bill C-28, in the House of Commons.
MacKinnon said the bill would give Canada a “sovereign way to space” by establishing a modern regulatory regime to authorize and oversee domestic launches and re-entries. He noted Canada now depends on foreign providers — most often the United States — to send civilian and military satellites to orbit, and said Canada is the only G7 country without its own launch capability.
The proposal follows April’s NASA-led Artemis II mission, which included Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen and achieved a lunar flyby. “Canada has reached the moon but still lacks its own sovereign way to space,” MacKinnon said.
If passed, the legislation would set out authorization rules, safety and security requirements, and a financial responsibility and indemnification framework for launch activities carried out in Canada. MacKinnon argued that reducing dependence on foreign rockets could attract investment, cut delays and keep control of critical infrastructure in Canadian hands. He also pointed to potential benefits for wildfire forecasting, marine protection, and national and Arctic security through more responsive satellite services. He said the commercial opportunity could be worth up to $40 billion.
Some groundwork is already underway. Halifax-based Maritime Launch Services is building a commercial spaceport near Canso, N.S., part of a push by domestic firms to field Canadian-built launch solutions at home.
MacKinnon cautioned that liftoffs are not imminent, estimating it will take two to three years before rockets could launch from Canadian territory. He said the near-term focus is satellites, and stopped short of projecting when or whether the framework could extend to crewed flights, adding the Canadian Space Agency will continue partnering with NASA.
Industry voices say the change is overdue. Rahul Goel, CEO of Canadian aerospace firm NordSpace, told CBC that Canada has never had the means to put its own payloads into orbit and relies on companies like SpaceX. “At the end of the day, if we’re launching national security missions on foreign rockets, it’s really just foreign nations making national security decisions on our behalf,” he said.
The government has not detailed a launch timeline beyond MacKinnon’s estimate. The bill must clear Parliament before any new regime takes effect.
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