Building Canada’s Future in Space, Right Here in London

I joined Canada Rocket Company and community partners at London International Airport to break ground on the company’s new rocket engine test facility. The $30-million site will be named for astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who was born in London.

This is the first large-scale static rocket engine test facility in Canada, and it will put our country among a small group of nations with this capability.

A New Chapter for Canadian Launch

The facility will allow the company to test the engines for its reusable, medium-lift rocket on the ground at full power. That work is a key step toward Canada launching its own satellites, without relying on other countries’ rockets to reach space.

Our government is investing in that future. The facility is funded in part by $8.3 million from the Department of National Defence’s IDEaS Program. It also builds on the Defence Industrial Strategy, which identifies space as a high-value sector for Canada.

Good Jobs for London

The company expects to create about 40 skilled jobs at the London site within 18 months, and is developing training partnerships with Western University and Fanshawe College. Across its wider rocket program, it projects roughly 1,000 jobs and more than $1 billion in new investment over the next decade.

London is already home to more than 40 defence and aerospace companies, and this investment builds on that strength. It means more opportunities for our students and skilled workers to build careers right here at home.

Looking Ahead

The facility is expected to be fully operational in 2028, and the company aims to reach orbit by 2032. I look forward to seeing this work take shape, and to London playing a leading role in Canada’s growing space sector.

Built in London. Bound for orbit.