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The solar eclipse that crossed North America provided an opportunity to stimulate passions for astronomy, local tourism and the sale of protective glasses. But it is not only in this special context that the stars and space generate significant economic benefits. This is a growing sector of activity which could, according to players in this industry, play an important and even essential role in building the Canadian economy of tomorrow, national security and the fight against climatic changes.
“Human activities in space, 40, 30, 20 and even 10 years ago, were completely different from what they are today,” reports former New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant in interview with The duty. He is today president and CEO of the industry association Espace Canada, founded two years ago. “Before, it was just governments cooperating with other governments to advance big projects,” he continues. Now there’s an accessibility to the space that we’ve never seen before, and that means it can be commercialized. Businesses have a role to play. »
In a report published at the end of January 2024, the firm Deloitte highlights that the global space economy is today estimated at more than 600 billion dollars and that it could exceed 2,000 billion by 2040. Currently, Canada represents 1% of this economy, with annual revenues of 5.5 billion, despite the fact that the country’s economy represents almost 2% of global GDP.
“If Canada creates the conditions to obtain a share of the global space economy comparable to its share of the overall economy, its space sector could be worth $40 billion by 2040,” the authors write.
The multiplication of satellites
We might spontaneously think of SpaceX, the rocket and spaceship company of multi-billionaire Elon Musk, or of Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos. In Canada, however, the majority of companies in this sector are SMEs. Business opportunities concern both space exploration — let’s not forget that humans plan to return to the Moon and send robots to examine various stars — and technologies placed in orbit and facing Earth.
One of the most promising areas is everything related to satellites: design, manufacturing, deployment, operation, data processing, infrastructure protection, increasing Internet coverage. Due to the falling costs of satellites and the growing utility of their data, their number in space has quintupled in five years to reach 11,000 today, reports Deloitte. “It is estimated that by 2030 there will be up to 100,000 satellites orbiting the Earth,” the report reads.
There are more and more uses of satellites to monitor changes in the Earth’s environment. There are some who measure, for example, the ice surface in the Arctic and Antarctica, others who look at the extent of forests, especially in the Amazon
Located in Montreal, GHGSat is the Canadian company which experienced the greatest growth in its turnover between 2019 and 2022, according to a ranking by the Financial Times. Using technology developed in Quebec, GHGSat measures the concentrations of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere, particularly methane, using its twelve satellites, six of which were launched in 2023.
“All gases absorb light at certain frequencies. Using a spectrometer, we determine the concentrations that exist in the atmosphere at a very specific location,” explains the company’s CEO, Stéphane Germain.
Using satellites, GHGSat can take these measurements anywhere in the world at low cost, without needing to deploy on the ground. It thus helps its clients, industrial operators, “to better understand their emissions and reduce them”.
“There are more and more uses of satellites to monitor environmental changes on Earth. There are some who measure, for example, the ice surface in the Arctic and the Antarctic, others who look at the extent of forests, especially in the Amazon,” underlines Mr. Germain.
The different facets of the space economy are often linked, he also emphasizes. For example, certain technologies that his company uses, such as on-board computers designed in Montreal by Xiphos, can also be used on the Moon.
Space power and Canadian arm
A proliferation of ideas and innovations is in sight. In 2021, 78 Canadian companies in the field spent $547 million on research and development, according to the most recent State of the Canadian Space Sector report published by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Research and development intensity in the space manufacturing sector was 18 times higher than the Canadian average.
The ASC seeks to stimulate these new developments through various competitions and investment programs. According to David Haight, director of external relations at the ASC, technologies developed for space can often contribute to solving challenges encountered on our planet.
The famous Canadian arms, for example, which served on the NASA space shuttle and on the International Space Station, have had an impact on earth. “Derivative technologies have given rise to applications in brain surgery,” emphasizes Mr. Haight.
The CSA Deep Space Food Challenge resulted in 60 proposals, including growing fruits and vegetables in space. This could later be useful in remote or hostile land areas, such as the Far North.
There is even talk of one day carrying out extraterrestrial mining. “We study, we explore. There is interest, because Canada is a leader in mineral exploration on Earth,” says Mr. Haight.
Brian Gallant, for his part, is overflowing with enthusiasm at the multiple perspectives offered by this bustling sector. However, he believes that to realize its full potential, the field must become a priority for the federal government. His association is calling for the creation of a national space council, which would bring together in the same place the people responsible for the many issues affecting this industry, including public security, national defense, transport, natural resources, fight against climate change and diplomatic relations.