Canadian Space Agency

• 1989 – May 4, 1992—Larkin Kerwin[10]
• May 4, 1992 – July 15, 1994—Roland Doré[11]
• November 21, 1994 – 2001—William MacDonald Evans[12]
• November 22, 2001 – November 28, 2005—Marc Garneau[13]
• April 12, 2007 – December 31, 2007—Larry J. Boisvert[14]
• January 1, 2008 - September 2, 2008—Guy Bujold
• September 2, 2008 – February 1, 2013—Steven MacLean[15]
• February 2, 2013 – August 5, 2013—Gilles Leclerc (interim)
• August 6, 2013 – November 3, 2014—Walter Natynczyk
• November 3, 2014 - March 9, 2015—Luc Brûlé, Interim[16]
• March 9, 2015 - September 14, 2020—Sylvain Laporte[17]
• September 14, 2020 - present—Lisa Campbell[18]

The CSA has been a cooperating state of the European Space Agency (ESA) since the 1970s[19][20] and has several formal and informal partnerships and collaborative programs with space agencies in other countries, such as NASA, ISRO, JAXA, and SNSA.

Canada's collaboration with Europe in space activities predated both the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.[19] From 1968, Canada held observer status in the European Space Conference (ESC), a ministerial-level organization set up to determine future European space activities, and it continued in this limited role after ESA was created in 1975.[19] Since January 1, 1979, Canada has had the special status of a "Cooperating State" with the ESA,[20] paying for the privilege and also investing in working time and providing scientific instruments that are placed on ESA probes. Canada is allowed to participate in optional programs; it also has to contribute to the General Budget but not as much as associate membership entail. This status was unique at the time and remains so today.

On 15 December 2010 the accord was renewed for a further 10 years, until 2020.[20] By virtue of this accord, Canada takes part in ESA deliberative bodies and decision-making and in ESA's programmes and activities. Canadian firms can bid for and receive contracts to work on programmes. The accord has a provision specifically ensuring a fair industrial return to Canada. The head of the Canadian delegation to ESA is the president of the Canadian Space Agency. As of February 2009, there are currently 30 Canadians that are employed as staff members at ESA. (Distributed over various ESA sites: 20 at ESTEC; 4 at ESOC; 4 at ESA HQ; 2 at ESRIN).

There have been four recruiting campaigns for astronauts for the CSA. The first, in 1983, led to the selection of Roberta Bondar, Marc Garneau, Robert Thirsk, Ken Money, Bjarni Tryggvason and Steve MacLean. The second, in 1992, selected Chris Hadfield, Julie Payette, Dafydd Williams and Michael McKay. On May 13, 2009, it was announced after the completion of a third selection process that two new astronauts, Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques, had been chosen.[22] The latest recruitment campaign was launched in 2016, attracting 3,772 applicants for 2 candidates.[23] In 2017, Joshua Kutryk and Jennifer Sidey were chosen.[24]

Nine Canadians have participated in 17 manned missions in total: 14 NASA Space Shuttle missions (including one mission to Mir) and 3 Roscosmos Soyuz missions. Two former Canadian astronauts never flew in space: Michael McKay resigned due to medical reasons[25] and Ken Money resigned in 1992, eight years after his selection.[26]

On December 19, 2012, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield launched aboard a Soyuz spacecraft to reach the International Space Station. This mission marked the completion of NASA's compensation to Canada for its contribution to the Shuttle and International Space Station programs, meaning that there were no confirmed remaining space flight opportunities for Canadian astronauts.[27] In June 2015, the Canadian government announced a renewed commitment to the International Space Station, securing flights for both of Canada's remaining active astronauts.[28] In May 2016, the CSA announced that David Saint-Jacques would fly to the International Space Station aboard a Roscosmos Soyuz rocket in November 2018 for 6 months, as part of the Expedition 58/59 crew.[29] The crew of the Artemis 2 lunar flyby mission will include a CSA astronaut, the first Canadian to travel beyond low Earth orbit, under the terms of a 2020 treaty between the United States and Canada.[30]

Alouette 1 was the first satellite built by a country other than the United States or Soviet Union.

Additionally, there are commercial satellites launched by the telecommunications company Telesat, a former Crown corporation that was privatized in 1998. These are the Anik satellites, the Nimiq satellites (all currently used by Bell Satellite TV), and MSAT-1. Further, technology and research satellites have been developed by UTIAS-SFL,[38] including the CanX program, ExactView-9, and GHGSat-D.

The CSA contributes to many international projects, including satellites, rovers, and space telescopes. The CSA has contributed components to ESA, NASA, ISRO, JAXA, and SNSB projects in the past.[39] Currently, Canada is contributing the Fine Guidance Sensor to NASA's upcoming James Webb Space Telescope.[40]

Additionally, Canadian universities and aerospace contractors, including the University of Calgary,[43][44] UTIAS-SFL, COM DEV, MDA, Magellan Aerospace, Telesat and others, have provided components to various international space agencies.

• John H. Chapman Space Centre – Longueuil, Quebec
• David Florida Laboratory – Ottawa, Ontario
• Canadian Space Agency Building – Innovation Place Research Park – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

A number of launch facilities have been used by the Canadian Space Agency and its predecessors:

Canada

• Churchill Rocket Research Range / SpacePort Canada, Manitoba (DRB / NRC)

United States

• Cape Canaveral, Florida (NASA)
• Vandenberg Air Force Base, California (USAF)
• Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia (NASA)

Other international

• Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India (ISRO)
• Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan (leased to Roscosmos and Russian Space Forces)
• Dombarovsky Air Base, Russia (Russian Air Force)
• Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia (Roscosmos)

A Canadian Black Brant XII launching from Wallops Flight Facility

The Canadian Space Agency has no indigenous launch system capability beyond upper atmospheric sounding rockets.[45][52] Canada relies on other countries, such as the U.S., India and Russia, to launch its spacecraft into orbit, but both the Defence Department and the space agency are looking at the option of constructing a Canadian-made launcher.[52][53]

The CSA announced in 2011 it was researching locations in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, or the potential reopening of the Churchill Rocket Research Range in Manitoba for a micro satellite (150 kg) launch site to end its reliance on foreign launch providers.[53] Another possible location, CFB Suffield, remains an option.[45][54] According to Canadian Space Agency officials, it would take 10 to 12 years for a full-scale project to design and build a small satellite launcher.[45] There has been no funding for these activities announced.[55]

Although a new launch facility at Canso, Nova Scotia, is in progress (2021 expected operation[56]), its intended use is for commercial launches of the Ukrainian Cyclone-4M rocket. The facility is a project of the Maritime Launch Services company. Any CSA involvement has not been announced.[57]