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ARTICLE · 05 FEBRUARY 2026

Why Canada's Case For Sovereign Space Launch Capability Is No Longer Theoretical

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In August 2025, a liquid-fuel rocket built by Concordia University students lifted off from a launch site near Mistissini, Québec. The vehicle, known as Starsailor, did not reach space...

CanadaInternational Law
James H. Buchan
James H. Buchan
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In August 2025, a liquid-fuel rocket built by Concordia University students lifted off from a launch site near Mistissini, Québec. The vehicle, known as Starsailor, did not reach space, but it achieved stable powered flight and transmitted live telemetry. It marked Canada's first launch attempt in nearly three decades and the first student-developed liquid rocket engine to fly in the country.

For satellite operators, launch providers, investors and space agencies, the significance of Starsailor lies less in the altitude reached than in what the launch revealed. Canada has the technical capability and talent to support launch activity. What it currently lacks is a regulatory and commercial framework designed to support that activity at scale. That gap now has real strategic, economic and operational consequences.

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