The search for the next leader of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is underway, but this moment calls for a fundamental rethinking of the agency's purpose and a repositioning of Canada's credibility as a spacefaring nation. While the CSA has historically advanced space science, contributed to allied missions like Artemis and the International Space Station, and built expertise in Earth observation and robotics, its original model from 1990 was designed for a scientific and industrial context that no longer exists.
Space and National Security Converge
Today, space is deeply intertwined with national security, essential for communications, navigation, intelligence gathering, and Arctic awareness. The gap between civil space and national defence programs is narrowing rapidly. NATO is studying a potential new satellite ground station in Canada, following last year's launch of the $5-billion Enhanced Satellite Communications Project to support Canadian Armed Forces communications in the Arctic. Additionally, U.S. President Donald Trump's Golden Dome continental defence effort relies on space-based systems. To compete, Canada must bring commercial speed and a defence lens to its space efforts.
CSA's Current Structure Falls Short
Yet the CSA remains structured as a program-delivery and research organization within Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. This approach is not designed for the speed, iteration, or industry engagement needed to achieve technological leadership in space. A new model is required.
Learning from NASA's Success
Twenty years ago, NASA launched the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program, which introduced milestone-based funding, advanced purchase agreements, shared risk, and competition among multiple firms. This unlocked rapid iteration and brought new industrial players, including SpaceX, to the table. The model has become the operating logic of U.S. defence innovation, where risk is managed rather than eliminated and industry is a true partner.
Proposed Transformation for CSA
Applying this model to reorient the CSA would allow it to become a pathfinder of national capability, with space serving as a base for defence-adjacent innovation and industrial growth. This would require repositioning the agency closer to the centre of government, with a mandate tied directly to sovereignty and security, while preserving its core scientific and human spaceflight functions. The CSA would become leaner and more technical, with a higher concentration of engineers, operators, and program leaders. Its operating model could shift toward milestone-based competitions aligned with national priorities, such as Arctic defence. Early contracts could fund different approaches at a smaller scale, with follow-on funding for systems proven in real conditions.
This leadership transition offers an ideal opportunity to ground the CSA in today's reality and build an agency that moves at the speed the moment requires.
