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Hello everyone!

I’m delighted to be here at the Canadian Space Agency to share some great news with Canadians.

I’d like to start by thanking the President of the Agency, Sylvain Laporte, for welcoming me.

I also want to welcome Minister Bains, Minister Duncan, and Minister Garneau, who are here with me this morning, as well as our Canadian astronauts and the members of the Space Advisory Board.

Thank you for joining us.

Being here today, I can’t help but think of David Saint‑Jacques, who’s currently orbiting our planet.

I was lucky enough to speak with him the day before he left, three months ago, when he was in Kazakhstan.

I asked him how he felt, how he contemplated his flight and his mission. I told him that everyone was very proud of him.

He was like a kid on Christmas Eve – excited, thrilled, enthusiastic. He was already on top of the world.

He was getting ready to live out his greatest dream – a dream he’d had since he was a kid.

His voice full of emotion, he said, “You know, there aren’t many foreign flags flying over the Russian space centre.

So I couldn’t be more proud to see our Maple Leaf here, so far from home. 

To see a country like ours — which isn’t a world superpower, which doesn’t have a large population — at the forefront of progress. Playing in the big leagues.”

There was a time when David’s story would’ve been barely imaginable.

A time when our ancestors used the stars to find their way through the wilderness, used the sun to tell time, and used the moon to dock their boats.

Back then, observation was our best and often only tool for understanding our world and answering our most burning questions.

So, in 1839, we built our first observatory on the grounds of the University of Toronto to advance our knowledge of our planet and its universe.

We focused on magnetic fields. We wondered why the compass pointed to the North Pole. Where the Northern lights came from.

This curiosity, this sense of adventure that would later drive our work in space, was alive in the hearts of those who came before us.

Alive in the First Peoples of Canada who had survived and thrived in the most unforgiving of climates.

Alive in the Europeans who had crossed the Atlantic to find a better life in a distant land.

Indeed, Canada’s entire story is one of perseverance, resilience, and audacity – often in the face of seemingly impossible odds.

In 1957, when Sputnik made its first trip around the Earth, the Soviets pushed the boundaries of what we thought possible.

They showed the world what human beings could do.

Inspired by their success, Canadians got to work.

Even if the space race seemed to be meant for countries much more important than ours –

Even if satellites were the business of countries far more populous than ours –

Canada didn’t waste any time.

In 1962, just 5 years after Sputnik, we launched Alouette 1, the first Canadian satellite, making Canada the first non-superpower in space.

And over time, Canadian innovation – and especially our expertise in robotics – became instrumental to space exploration.

Each time our friends and allies set out to reach new frontiers, they turned to us.

Canada built the communications antenna that helped Alan Shepard become the first American in space.

When President Kennedy boldly declared that the United States would land a man on the moon and return him safely to Earth, Canada was there.

Owen Maynard, from Woodstock, Ontario, was the engineer at NASA responsible for the design of the lunar module that would bring Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the Sea of Tranquility on the surface of the moon.

And the landing gear of that lunar module was built by Héroux Aerospace, just next to us in Longueuil.

We built the Canadarm for the space shuttles.

It launched the Hubble Space Telescope, supported countless space walks, and started building the International Space Station, just to name a few things.

And frankly, the Canadarm also ensured that the maple leaf was visible in almost every iconic picture of the space shuttle.

Our work in space is perhaps the best example of Canadian ambition – of this tireless desire to learn and to understand, that is so inherent to who we are as a country.

It’s no mistake that we decided to focus our space program on research and science –

No surprise that we chose physicists and scientists– engineers and educators – doctors and authors, to be our astronauts.

Their mission was not only to reach the stars, but to bring their knowledge back to Earth.

To help us understand the world in which we live, and our place in it.

Every astronaut – whether it be through their discoveries or their example – inspired generations of Canadians to push the boundaries of what they thought possible, of what they held to be true.

As our Governor General likes to say, they showed Canadians that “the sky was, in fact, not the limit.”

Almost 50 years after Apollo 11, space exploration is entering a new chapter.

After building, operating, and continuously occupying the great laboratory that is the International Space Station, the world is now turning its attention to the Moon.

A group of countries, led by NASA, has announced its plan to build a new lunar orbiting platform.

The Lunar Gateway will be one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by human beings to date.

Not only will this Moon outpost allow for a long-term lunar presence, but it will also serve as a launch pad to Mars and beyond.

Our allies have asked us to join them in reaching this new frontier.

They want our help to take on the challenges of deep space exploration.

They want us to be their partner on this lunar mission.

And so today, we’re stepping up.

Canada is going to the moon.

Canadarm was essential to the space shuttle.

Canadarm II built the International Space Station.

So, it’s only fitting that the arm that will repair, and maintain the Lunar Gateway will yet again be made in Canada, by Canadians.

And of course, the AI and robotics used to control this new Canadarm III will be developed in Canada, by Canadians.

And that’s crucially important given the location of the Gateway.

Where the International Space Station could be operated from the ground at any time, the distance to Lunar Gateway will require a level of autonomy never seen before in robotic and human exploration systems.

Unlike the ISS, the Gateway will not be continuously occupied. Instead, thanks to artificial intelligence and robotics, the Gateway will continue to operate when crews are not present and during periods of no communication with the Earth.

Canadians are pioneering this technology. We have the talent and the expertise to see it through.

And now is our time to lead.

Our participation in the Lunar Gateway ushers in a new era of Canadian excellence in space – the cornerstone of the next phase of Canada’s space program.

To do so, the Government of Canada will invest more than $2 billion over 24 years in our space program and the Lunar Gateway.

Our new, ambitious space strategy will not only keep our astronaut program running and our aerospace industry strong and growing, but also create good jobs for Canadians, foster innovation, and open the door to new scientific discoveries.

Nearly 60 years of Canadian innovation in space have led us here.

Ready to embark on a new mission.

Canada possesses not only the savoir-faire, but also the supply chain to help make the Lunar Gateway a reality.

Our work in space in the past decades has enabled our entrepreneurs to expand their businesses and created a network of talent and expertise across the country.

Our participation in ambitious projects like the International Space Station meant that Canadian businesses could become involved in missions led by our partners like NASA and the European Space Agency.

It meant they could compete for contracts, expand their international partnerships, and access new technologies.

Today, 10,000 Canadian jobs depend on Canada’s presence in space.

From the folks here at CSA who operate Dextre, the “Canada hand”, to those who built the earth monitoring satellite RADARSAT constellation mission satellites in Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue, and Richmond, BC.

Canada’s participation in the Lunar Gateway will not only ensure that we keep jobs in our communities, but also unlock unprecedented opportunities for our small and medium-sized businesses to grow and thrive.

Of the $2.05 billion, our government will allocate $150 million over 5 years to help our SMEs develop and demonstrate space technologies.

With the Gateway, we also have the chance to leverage our superclusters, especially as they relate to AI, and ensure that Canada contributes to the next generation of AI-enabled deep space robotic systems.

These investments will create hundreds of good, well-paying jobs over the next ten years – from scientists and engineers to technicians and computer programmers – and will contribute $100 million annually to Canada’s gross domestic product.

Over recent years, as parents, mentors, and teachers, we’ve encouraged our young people interested in science and technology to follow their passion and work hard so they can one day have a job they love.

In fact, that’s exactly what I’m doing right now.

My daughter Ella-Grace is already a bit of a science geek like me, so I brought her with me for today’s big news.

We promise our kids that their dream job is out there. That their hard work will pay off.

Today, we’re making good on that promise.

A strong space program will ensure that Canadians are well positioned to benefit from a rapidly growing international space economy – an economy that will triple to 1.1 trillion dollars in the next 20 years.

This is an unprecedented opportunity for Canada to shine.

We expect robotics to be even more critical in the future – from exploring planets to servicing satellites. Canada has what it takes to be at the forefront of this next phase of space technology.

That said, the impacts of space innovation extend far beyond any single sector of the economy.

Because had we not participated in space exploration, there is little doubt that Canadians from coast to coast to coast would have missed out on good jobs, better opportunities, and great discoveries.

Discoveries that have revolutionized life on Earth – whether we realize it or not.

Measuring how much radiation astronauts were exposed to during spacewalks helped us design a radiation detector used in over 1,000 cancer clinics around the world.

Using the Canadarm technology, scientists and engineers developed digital microscopes and robotic arms that revolutionized neurosurgery.

Our satellites help us monitor our borders, evaluate the impacts of climate change, provide high‑speed Internet access in remote locations, and carry out rescue operations.

With each new venture into space, we made ground-breaking discoveries that improved the lives of millions of Canadians.

The Lunar Gateway and the next phase of our space program will be no different.

The investment announced today will open up a new realm of possibilities for Canadian research and innovation – from connecting Canadians through high-speed networks, to improving access to nutritious food in remote regions, to developing medical treatments.

These are challenges Canadians face every day – challenges we’ll continue to study in space, to find solutions.

The maple leaf was flying over the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan that day because Canadians chose to go to space.

We recognized the opportunity before us and believed in our unique ability to seize it.

In 1962, we set out to reach a new frontier, like we had done so many times before. But Canada made it to space as part of a team.

A team of friends and allies who realized that they could achieve more together than they ever could on their own.

The International Space Station might be the best example of peaceful cooperation among countries.

It represents the best of those who took part in building it – and shows what we can achieve when we work together.

The result is almost 20 years of continuous human presence in space.

Almost 20 years of collaboration, innovation and exploration.

My friends – there will always be so much we will never know about our universe.

In fact, space exploration may have generated more questions than it has answered.

But that’s not really why humans went to space in the first place.

We went because we wanted to learn more about ourselves.

We tested our theories just as much as we tested our resilience and our determination.

And in the process, we discovered how to make life on Earth more comfortable, more efficient, and more fulfilling.

We revolutionized the way we coexist and connect. And the way we keep each other safe.

With the Lunar Gateway, Canada will continue to be part of the team that pushes the boundaries of human ambition and redefines what is possible.

The team that will continue to inspire generations of children – and adults – to keep dreaming bigger and reaching higher.

I now have the pleasure of turning things over to someone who understands perhaps better than anyone just how powerful Canada’s presence in space can be.

Live from space, please welcome David Saint-Jacques.