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Canada and ESA Form Task Force to Deepen Space Cooperation

The task force will help the Canadian Space Agency secure autonomy during global funding negotiations with the European Space Agency.

Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), Josef Aschbacher, right and Canada Space Agency President Lisa Campbell display their signed re-affirmations of the Canada-European Space Agency Cooperation Agreement in Longueuil, Que., on Friday, June 6, 2025.

Overview

  • Canadian Space Agency President Lisa Campbell and ESA Director General Dr. Josef Aschbacher signed a joint statement at the John H. Chapman Space Centre reaffirming nearly five decades of cooperation.
  • The newly created ESA-CSA task force will pinpoint shared research priorities and industrial synergies to drive future projects.
  • As the only non-European cooperating state, Canada retains privileged access to the European space market under the agreement.
  • Every dollar awarded to Canadian companies through ESA contracts has generated nearly three dollars in economic returns for Canada.
  • Dr. Aschbacher cited potential NASA budget cuts and broader geopolitical uncertainties as catalysts for boosting agency autonomy and partnership resilience.