LONGUEUIL, QC – At the Space Canada Horizons conference on May 20, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) President Lisa Campbell addressed the space sector, outlining an ongoing shift in the agency’s procurement strategy. Campbell emphasized speed, iterative development, and a move away from rigidly defined mission requirements.
The WildFireSat reset
Central to this new approach is the WildFireSat mission. Following the recent termination of the previous competitive contract award for convenience, the CSA issued a new Request for Information (RFI) today. It should be noted the reasons behind the termination have yet to be released.
According to the newly released document, the RFI is intended “to gather input for the development of the WildFireSat mission” and “to assess how Canadian industry can support global operational capability for wildfire monitoring.” The agency intends to hold a virtual industry information session to outline the scope and process, noting that the RFI “does not constitute a call for proposals or any contractual commitment.”
During her address, Campbell stressed the urgency of the mission, noting that Canada spends $1 billion annually fighting wildfires and that space-based monitoring capabilities directly save lives and money. She told attendees that the CSA will be “a lot less prescriptive about what we need,” encouraging industry to propose alternative approaches to meet the core goals of using infrared technology to detect heat and determine peak burn times.
This reset likely means the competitive process could attract more than the three organizations who had previously bid and does not rule out Spire Canada from competing again. The CSA insists that the budget and timeline are still intact.
A shift towards speed?
The reset on WildFireSat reflects a broader push for speed and risk tolerance within the federal government. Campbell urged a move away from the expectation of flawless, long-development missions, advocating instead to “strive for initial operating capability and then iterate it”.
She highlighted that space procurements are uniquely exempt from standard trade agreements, granting the CSA “massive flexibility” to move quickly.
“All the tools are already there,” Campbell said, urging the agency and industry partners to use existing mechanisms boldly rather than waiting for legislative changes.
The push to move with speed will require the CSA’s civil service to adjust how it does business. Can the Canadian bureaucracy really change? It’s one thing to be directed to change, it’s another to actually make it happen.
NASA’s ‘Ignition Program’ and robotics demand
Campbell also addressed industry concerns surrounding NASA’s newly announced “Ignition Program” plans and the ongoing debates over Lunar Gateway costs. She acknowledged that the political shifts and budget pressures driving these changes were not entirely surprising.
However, she provided strong reassurance regarding Canada’s industrial footprint in orbit, stating she is “very confident there’s going to be massive demand for Canada’s space robotics” in NASA’s new framework. With Canadarm3 currently in phases C and D of development, and an increasing need for robotics on the aging International Space Station as well as future commercial and international stations, Campbell is confident Canada’s niche remains secure.
Domestic launch capabilities and private capital
Furthermore, Campbell highlighted the urgent need to advance domestic launch capabilities. She commended companies like Maritime Launch Services, NordSpace, Canada Rocket Company, and Reaction Dynamics for moving launch operations in Canada “from ambition to reality”.
Recognizing the financial “valley of death” that early-stage space tech companies face, the CSA is actively stepping in to bridge the gap between government grants and commercial viability. The agency is scheduling roundtables to match private sector capital with Canadian space firms, aiming to help them survive early technology readiness development cycles without being acquired prematurely.
Over-engineering and stagnant base funding
During the Q&A, Campbell shared a candid look at mission lifespans and the agency’s funding constraints. She explained that while the CSA asks the government for budgets based on three-to-five-year mission durations, spacecraft are often flown for up to 23 years.
However, the money to operate these extended missions comes directly from the CSA’s base budget—a budget that Campbell noted earlier in her address has not increased since 1999. While she emphasized that the agency should keep spacecraft operational for as long as responsibly possible, she suggested this longevity indicates missions are often over-engineered. Going forward, modern missions must also factor in the ability to responsibly de-orbit to minimize space debris.
Unfunded Space Act agreements
For companies struggling to secure capital in an environment where tech development programs are oversubscribed, Campbell highlighted an underutilized tool within the CSA’s existing legislative flexibility, drawing an analogy to the U.S. model of “unfunded Space Act agreements”.
While Space Act Agreements are a legal mechanism specific to NASA, Campbell noted the CSA has the authority to execute similar non-financial partnerships in Canada. Under this model, rather than providing direct financial grants, the CSA would partner with companies to provide access to agency infrastructure and expert knowledge. Campbell stated that the agency wants to pursue this approach and is currently looking for the right use cases and government support to implement it.