Elon Musk SpaceX
The reported cutoff concerns Falcon 9 missions beyond 2028, as the company prepares to shift towards its larger Starship rocket. The Canadian government’s Launch the North competition is providing $25 million in incentives to three companies, prioritising smaller rockets. One of Canada’s major satellite providers, Telesat, has booked SpaceX launches for its 225-satellite Lightspeed communications network before the anticipated Falcon 9 phaseout, according to the report.
Canada has companies developing rockets and launch sites, but the report said none had yet launched anything into orbit.
For Canadian satellite companies seeking investment to expand, the uncertainty is said to be prompting investors to question how their planned satellites will reach orbit. “That’s a huge problem for the industry,” he told The Logic. At the SpaceBound conference in Gatineau, Quebec, Kristen Cote, chief technology officer of Edmonton-based Earth-observation company Wyvern, said launch access had become a question during fundraising discussions. How are you going to launch all these satellites?’” Cote said. CEO Dan Goldberg said Telesat needs a provider that can carry many satellites, launch frequently, and keep prices competitive. Maritime Launch Services’ site near Canso, Nova Scotia, has approvals for medium-lift rockets, according to CEO Stephen Matier.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has reportedly stopped accepting launch bookings from Canadian companies. Kepler CEO Mina Mitry warned that reduced access to shared rocket launches could make it harder for smaller companies to launch experimental satellites. Canada’s own rocket developers remain years away from offering the launch capacity needed to deploy large satellite networks. “I think this is the first time where we’ve had serious questions from investors about, ‘You have all these plans—that’s great. Those arrangements depend on the satellites being ready on schedule. However, the company is not currently preparing for those launches.