After last years blockbuster budget which included $1.2 billion over 13 years for a lunar utility vehicle among other initiatives along with an anticipated new high in planned spending at $537 million, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) departmental plan (DP) for 2024-25 has a lower planned spending level.
Canadian Space Agency – Planned vs Actual Spending (2000-2024). Image credit: SpaceQ.
The Canadian Space Agency 2024-25 DP calls for a planned spending of $413,697,469. The reduction in planned spending doesn’t come as a surprise as previous DP’s had forecasted this.
There is good news though in that the planned spending is actually higher than had been forecast last year. In last years DP, planned spending for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts April 1, was set at $328.4 million.
With a slew of announcements in last years budget, it’s highly unlikely any new major initiatives will be announced when the federal government releases its budget on April 16.
As with recent DP’s the CSA is continuing its emphasis on the Moon with ongoing planned spending on the Lunar Gateway, Canadarm3, the Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP), a lunar rover and lunar utility vehicle, along with the Artemis II mission which will see the first Canadian astronaut, Jeremy Hansen, fly to the Moon in 2025.
It should be noted that with the U.S. led Artemis program being behind schedule and with a lower NASA budget this year, that some planned spending on Canadian initiatives related to Artemis will necessarily need to shift year-to-year depending on the status of U.S. efforts. So we’re likely to see swings in planned spending for several years.
That being said, there are several other ongoing initiatives not related to the Moon that are will move forward as expected.
This includes the RADARSAT+ which was announced on October 18, 2023 and included $1.012 billion in new funding over 15 years “to extend the long-standing RADARSAT satellite series.”
The CSA outlined it’s key priorities as;
- Propelling space exploration through the Lunar Program;
- Delivering space-based data to support Canada’s sustainable development ambitions and;
- Positioning Canadian space ecosystem for prosperity.
These priorities have not changed substantially in the last couple of years.
Deep Dive? No
As we’ve said in reporting on past DP’s, the federal government is not transparent in making available spending on a per-line item basis for each program. They only provide a high-level snapshot.
We do know that of the $413.9 million in planned spending, $349,012,257 will be spent on Canada in Space, the programs, and $64,955,212 million on internal services which includes human resources.
We also know as listed in the transfer payment programs the following:
Contributions under the Canada–European Space Agency (ESA) Cooperation Agreement – $38,969,000
Class Grant and Contribution Program to Support Research, Awareness and Learning in Space Science and Technology
- Total grants: $14,135,000
- Total contributions: $26,364,000
In looking through the changes in spending the CSA did provide some information.
They state that “the variances in actual spending are aligned with allocations for flagship initiatives including Canadarm3.”
The variance between 2023–24 and 2026–27 is mainly attributable to:
- New investment to support the International Space Station through 2030 announced in the 2023 Budget.
- Net decrease of investments in Canadarm3 (announced in the 2019 Budget). Additional funding for this initiative is expected to be accessed in the upcoming years.
- Net decrease of investments in Gateway External Robotics interfaces (GERI).
- Net decrease of investments in WildFireSat (WFS); as announced in 2022 Budget, additional funding for this initiative is expected to be accessed in the upcoming years.
- Response to the “Refocusing government spending to deliver for Canadians” initiative announced in the 2023 Budget.
For the last item, the CSA stated that it is planning the following spending reductions.
- 2024-25: $11,087,139
- 2025-26: $21,543,000
- 2026-27 and after: $17,240,000
The CSA said these reductions will be achieved by reducing “travel expenses and some professional services, rationalize CSA’s technical services and space operations capacities, reduce investments in CSA’s existing space capacity development funding programs and activities aiming at preparing new space missions and focus on delivering current approved missions.” This years DP’s and going forward will include the reductions.