Policy Brief No. 234 — April 2026
Builder, Stabilizer, Steward: Why Space Needs More Canada Jessica West
Key Points → Canada’s dependence on space has deepened rapidly, binding economic activity, environmental monitoring and defence operations to the stability of the orbital environment. As space becomes more congested, commercialized and strategically contested, capability alone is insufficient to sustain security. → Canada’s next phase of space leadership lies in aligning innovation, operational discipline and cooperation so that governance is embedded in capability development, deterrence is reinforced through predictable behaviour and transparency becomes part of routine security practice. → This policy brief examines Canada’s evolving space posture and the systemic pressures reshaping the orbital environment. It argues that Canada can strengthen stability in space by acting simultaneously as builder (governing innovation), stabilizer (practising operational discipline) and steward (institutionalizing cooperation).
Introduction Since the early years of the Space Age, Canada has relied on space systems to address the challenges of its geography and security environment. Satellite capabilities have supported communications across vast distances, environmental monitoring of the Arctic and surveillance of remote regions. Canada entered orbit not for prestige but for problem solving: connecting dispersed communities, supporting national security and advancing scientific knowledge through innovations such as Alouette I in 1962, the RADARSAT series and the Canadarm (Beattie et al. 2002). Over time, space systems became embedded in how Canada governs, monitors and protects its territory. That dependence has deepened significantly over the past several decades. Satellite systems now underpin a wide range of economic, environmental and security functions, from financial timing and logistics to climate monitoring, Arctic surveillance and emergency response. As these dependencies grow, so too do the risks associated with congestion, competition and instability in orbit. For Canada, the