There will be some who will be disappointed that neither the Liberal or the NDP election platforms make mention of the space sector. It’s not surprising though.
The reason for both platforms being bereft of any space promises is easy to explain.
The last election was two years ago and heading into it the Liberals had released a new space strategy (Mar. 6, 2019) which itself was preceded by the then Liberal government committing (Feb. 28, 2019) to a new space exploration initiative centred around the Moon with $2.05 billion promised over 24 years.
The Liberals are in the midst of slowly enacting that space strategy and have moved forward with their commitment to lunar exploration including a plan to send at least one small rover to the Moon within the next five years. Though it should be noted, the plan to send a rover to the Moon was pushed back two years from 2024 to 2026.
The Liberals will continue to ride the 2019 lunar commitment if reelected but may bring forward a new commitment centred on Earth observation.
The NDP platform does have a mention of aerospace, it is however centred on manufacturing primarily for the military and their acquisition needs.
The next big space initiative?
While current polls suggest the NDP are not likely to form the next government, they may play an important role. This could include support for climate change initiatives, central to the Liberal platform.
Earth observation is critical to Canada’s future. It is why the Canadian Space Agency has been spearheading a Space-Based Earth Observation consultation to formulate a strategy the government can implement.
While all the political parties can quibble on the particulars of a strategy, I think they would all agree that a new Earth observation strategy and commitment to new assets, including satellites, and additional research is needed.
And yes, this includes the Conservatives who have warmed up to the idea that their platform must include action on Climate Change.
With the election just two and half weeks away, it seems unlikely we’ll hear anything directly related to the space sector.