Economic and geopolitical turmoil is forcing the Canadian and European space agencies to work together more closely, the organizations’ leaders said Friday as they signed a joint statement reaffirming their long-standing collaboration.
At the Canadian Space Agency‘s headquarters south of Montreal, Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency, said economic uncertainty and global conflict are pushing Europe’s space sector to establish its autonomy — and reassert links with allies.
“If we are aiming to be more … independent, this does not mean that we want to isolate ourselves,” Aschbacher said. “We want to be strong and autonomous in order to have partnerships with other agencies.”
Canada is the European agency’s only non-European co-operating state, and as such Canadian companies are granted privileged access to Europe’s space market. Lisa Campbell, president of the Canadian Space Agency, said every dollar awarded to Canadian firms generates three dollars in return.
Leaders at both organizations signed a joint statement Friday reaffirming the agencies’ close ties; Canada has had a deal with the European Space Agency since 1979.
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Aschbacher’s two-day visit to Canada is the first in a quarter century by a European space chief and included discussions with government and industry leaders.
Defence spending is rising across the globe, and the United States is pressuring NATO members to increase their spending on defence, he said. “We should not forget that defence is tightly linked with space because you do need communication, Earth observation capabilities and many other space technologies in order to work hand in hand.”
As well, Aschbacher added that the United States’ space agency — NASA — could be facing deep budget cuts.
“You have all seen the budget proposals that have been released as a very first proposal of the White House,” Aschbacher said. “I can only say this is a work in progress: the budget negotiations are ongoing, but be assured that Europe and the European Space Agency will get out of this stronger, more autonomous, more independent.”
Campbell said that in uncertain times it’s important to reaffirm relationships with like-minded allies.
Canada is a spacefaring nation, she added, from rovers to instruments to robotics that will be in demand around the world in low Earth orbit and in deep space. Canada is already a partner with NASA and ESA in the James Webb Telescope, the world’s most powerful telescope.
“We’re resilient because we’re quite confident that there’s going to be a growing need for what we do in low Earth orbit and in deep space,” Campbell said.
With a need for independent access to space, nascent launch capability involving commercial firms on the East Coast could come into play, she said. “It’s just a matter of time before Canada is a launching nation as well.”
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