Canada has long been one of the key players in the global space industry thanks to its culture of development and innovation. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) was established in 1989 and it leads the space exploration activities and development of space technology in Canada.
In this article, you will find key information on the space industry in Canada, including key moments, revenue, and employment. Continue reading to explore the Canadian space industry through statistics.
Space Industry Statistics for Canadians
- In 1962, Canada launched the Alouette 1 satellite, becoming the third country to design its own satellite.
- The Canadian space sector generated about $5.1 billion in revenues in 2023.
- The space industry in Canada employs over 26,000 full-time workers.
- About 70% of the sector’s employees are male.
- Over 60% of employees in the space industry have STEM backgrounds and are highly qualified.
- Over 90% of Canadian space industry companies are SMEs.
- Ontario and Quebec employ 75% of the industry’s workforce and generate over 80% of its revenue.
- Canadian universities and research centres employ almost 20% of the space industry workforce.
- In March 2023, the Federal Government announced $2.5 billion in funding for the Canadian space industries.
Key Moments in the History of Canada’s Space Industry
Canada’s space industry has its roots in the 1960s when, in 1962, Canada launched the Alouette 1 Satellite on September 29 to study the ionosphere. With Alouette 1, Canada became only the third country in the world to design and build a satellite. The research into the ionosphere continued between 1969 and 1971 with the launch of ISIS 1 and ISIS 2 in 1969 and 1971, respectively.
In 1972, Canada made space history by launching Anik A1, which was the first domestic communications satellite in geostationary orbit in the world. This satellite provided TV and radio broadcasting across Canada, including the remote northern regions.
Another key moment in Canada’s space industry’s history came in 1981 with the development of Canadarm, a robotic arm designed and built in Canada. It was a critical component of the Space Shuttle program in the 1980s.
In 1984, Marc Garneau became the first Canadian astronaut in space. He has since been followed by 13 other astronauts as part of of the Canadian Astronaut Programme. Canada has been a key partner in the International Space Station (ISS) since 1998 and has contributed the Canadarm 2 and Dextre robotic system thus underscoring Canada’s role in space robotics. Canada has also been an active participant in the Mars Missions, for example with the Phoenix Mars Lander in 2008, which carried a meteorological station that was developed by Canadian scientists.
Space Industry Revenues and GDP Contributions
The latest available data on revenues show that in 2020, the revenues declined by 11% to $4.898 billion from $5.489 billion in 2019. The revenues remained virtually at the same level in 2021 ($4.896 billion). The decline was mainly the result of a decline in export activity, with revenues declining to $1.901 billion in 2020 and to $1.779 billion in 2021. The domestic revenues decreased less in 2020, by 6% to $2.996 billion, and rebounded in 2021 by 4% totalling $3.117 billion. In 2022, total revenues recovered to approximately $5.049 billion and further increased slightly to $5.091 billion in 2023, with exports rising and domestic revenues declining modestly.
Because of the pandemic‑linked decline, the space sector had a negative average annual growth rate of about −3.29% between 2017 and 2021. Despite the decline in revenues, the space sector’s contribution to Canada’s GDP increased between 2020 and 2021. In 2020, the industry contributed $2.7 billion to GDP and $2.8 billion in 2021. **More recent data show the contribution continuing to grow, with an estimated $3.2 billion in 2022 and $3.4 billion in 2023, a new record high.
The sector that saw its revenue decline the most was Satellite Communications, where revenues declined from $4.6 billion in 2019 to approximately $3.9 billion in 2021 in your original data. By 2023, this segment remained under pressure due to continued declines in traditional broadcasting, but other areas such as Earth observation, space exploration, and navigation saw growth that supported overall revenue stability.
The Majority of Canadian Space Industry Companies Are SMEs
Records show that around 93% of all Canadian space companies are small or medium-sized (SMEs). The SMEs account for 42% of the sector’s revenues and employ 30% of the sector’s workforce. Canadian space industry SMEs concentrate heavily on engineering, research, and consulting activities.
Despite the majority of the companies being SMEs, most of the revenues, 95%, are generated by the top 30 space organisations, which includes 26 companies and four universities. The top 30 organisations also represent almost 69% of the space sector’s employment and account for 81% of research and development.
However, the top 30 companies are not as innovative as the smaller companies. Most of the new patents and innovations in Canada come from SMEs. In general, SMEs are responsible for around 3/4 of inventions and 3/5 of registered patents.
Most of Canada’s Space Industry is in Ontario And Quebec
While there is space industry activity across Canada, much of it is concentrated in Ontario and Quebec. This is evident when observing how employment and revenues are distributed across the country.
In 2023, 39% of the full‑time jobs in the industry were in Ontario and 36% were in Quebec. The Prairie provinces employed 14% of the total full‑time workforce, British Columbia and the North 6%, and the Atlantic provinces 5%.
In the same year, 80% of the revenue was generated in Ontario and Quebec with 54% generated in Ontario and 26% in Quebec. Revenues from the Prairie provinces accounted for 11%, the Atlantic provinces 5%, and British Columbia and the North 4% of the total space industry revenue in 2023.
Employment in the Canadian Space Industry
During 2020 employment in the space industry declined by 3% but recovered in 2021 when it grew by 7%. In 2020, the space industry supported 22,846 full‑time jobs in Canada. In 2021, there were 24,190 full‑time jobs within the industry. These numbers include full‑time jobs in the space sector as well as jobs directly related to it, for example in the supply industry.
In 2022, the space sector workforce grew to 12,624 direct space‑related jobs (an 8.6% increase), supporting an additional 12,612 indirect and induced jobs for a total of 25,236 jobs across the Canadian economy. In 2023, the workforce expanded further to 13,888 direct space‑related jobs, supporting an additional 12,592 indirect and induced jobs for a total of 26,480 jobs in Canada.
If we were to look at the space sector alone, the number of full‑time jobs was 10,686 in 2020 and 11,629 in 2021. In 2022, direct space sector jobs totalled 12,624, and in 2023 direct space sector jobs reached 13,888, showing continued growth in the industry’s core workforce.
In 2021, 6,367 of the full‑time jobs were in the supply sector and 6,194 full‑time jobs were created as a result of consumer spending by employees. By 2023, indirect jobs in the supply industry numbered 6,636, and jobs supported by consumer spending by associated employees were 5,956, reflecting continued multiplier effects of the technology and operations workforce.
The majority of the space sector jobs are in the companies designing, developing, and manufacturing space technology and equipment. In 2021, 8,588 of the space sector jobs were in publicly or privately owned companies, 2,240 jobs were at universities and research centres, and 801 jobs were at the Canadian Space Agency. In 2023, the largest share of the direct workforce remained within industry, while 2,792 jobs were at universities and research centres and 1,441 jobs were with the Government of Canada, including the CSA.
The space industry remains a male‑dominated industry. In 2021, 71% of the industry’s workforce identified as male and 29% as female. In 2023, the gender distribution was similar: 71% identified as men, 29% as women, and about 0.2% identified as non‑binary.
Engineers and Scientists Represent Nearly 40% of the Industry’s Workforce
In 2021, 36% of the employees in the Canadian space industry were engineers and scientists. The next biggest sector was administration with 23%. Students represented the next biggest group at 10% followed by technicians with 8%.
Over 60% of the Space Industry Workforce has a STEM Background
Considering the nature of the space industry, it is not surprising that 62% of the industry’s employees have a background in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It is also not surprising that 67% of the employees are highly qualified personnel (HQP).
The majority of staff who are STEM and HQP are based in Ontario and Quebec. Ontario has 36% of the industry’s staff with STEM background and 37% of HQPs and Quebec has 34% and 35%, respectively.
Research and Development
The space research and development activity reached new levels in Canada in 2020 and 2021 and the expenditure totalled $479 million and $547 million, respectively. Much of the increased activity came from the private space sector. In 2022, business expenditures on research and development (BERD) continued to rise to $593 million, and they reached a new all‑time high of $650 million in 2023.
In 2021, organisations in the Canadian space sector reported 226 new inventions and 76 registrations for new patents. By 2023, the number of inventions climbed to 340 and the number of registered patents rose to 135, indicating an increase in innovation and patenting activity within the space sector.
Space Industry and Universities
Canadian universities and research centres play an important role in the space industry by supplying new talent and conducting research. In 2022, the revenues from universities and research centres amounted to about $129 million, representing 2.6% of total space industry revenues. Universities received $121 million in domestic funds in 2022, most of which came from government sources: $92 million was federal funding, $12 million provincial funding, and the remainder came from private foundations and companies. International sources contributed $9 million in 2022, with a portion from American organisations.
In 2023, university and research centre revenues increased to approximately $141 million, representing about 3% of total space industry revenues. Domestic funding was again the main source, and foreign funding remained a smaller but important contributor.
In addition to domestic funding, Canadian universities and research centres received funding from foreign sources that totalled $9 million in 2022, with American organisations a significant contributor. In 2023, foreign funding was reported at about $7 million, reflecting continued international collaboration.
Universities and research centres accounted for 20% of the total number of full‑time jobs in the space sector in 2022, a share similar to the previous period. In 2023, they employed nearly 21% of the sector’s workforce, with 2,792 full‑time equivalents.
At universities and research centres, a very high proportion of staff were STEM and HQP employees: in 2022, 95% were STEM and 86% were HQP, and in 2023 this concentration remained very high with 97% in STEM and 88% HQP, reflecting the specialised nature of academic and research roles.
The Future of Canadian Space Industry
For Canada to keep its position as one of the leaders in the global space industry, it needs to continue investing in research and innovation. The Federal Government is supporting the space industry in Canada with funding of $2.5 billion, which was announced in March 2023.
This includes $1.1 billion to continue Canada’s participation in the ISS over the next 14 years, $76.5 million to support Canadian science on the Lunar Gateway, including the development of Canadarm 3, over the next eight years, $1.2 billion to develop a lunar utility vehicle over the next 13 years, and $150 million to the Lunar Exploration Accelerator Programme over the next five years to support and accelerate the development of new space technologies.
Conclusion
The Canadian space industry is a thriving industry that demonstrates Canada’s commitment to innovation, exploration, and collaboration. Its benefits range wider than just supporting activities in space; it is also an important part of Canada’s economy and has direct socio-economic benefits.
With significant investments, participation in major international space missions, and cutting-edge space technology, Canada has secured its role as one of the frontrunners in the space industry for years to come. By being part of space explorations, Canada continues to play an important role in increasing our understanding of space and improving the lives of not just Canadians but all people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Canada have a space industry?
Yes, Canada has a thriving space industry. Canada has developed some key robotics used in space, such as the Canadarm and is actively involved in major international space missions.
Does Canada have any astronauts?
Yes, Canada does have astronauts. The first Canadian in space was Marc Garneau in 1984. Since then, another 13 Canadian astronauts have participated in space missions.
How to become an astronaut in Canada?
To become an astronaut in Canada, the first requirement is that you have to be a resident in Canada with a preference given to Canadian citizens. You also need to meet a range of requirements and conditions. You can find out more here.