Canada was one of the first countries in space. Now, as a new space race takes off, does it have what it takes to become a global leader again? In this episode of our summer series Can Canada Meet the Moment?, Paige Ellis sits down with Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space—Canada’s answer to SpaceX—to explore the enormous economic opportunity opening up beyond Earth.
With over $100 billion in assets, ATB Financial is powering possibilities for more than 843,000 financial services clients. ATB Cormark Capital Markets is a leading North American investment firm providing holistic corporate and capital markets advice and full-service financial solutions. Visit www.ATB.com/inthemoney for more information.
The Paradox at the Heart of Canada’s Space Story
- Canada was the third space-faring nation, built the iconic Canadarm, and — through MDA — holds nearly 60 years of expertise, making it a world leader in robotics, communications, and Earth observation.
- Yet it’s the only G7 country without its own launch capability, having long contracted launches out to allies.
- That’s about to change: with rising defense budgets, a domestic launch site is coming to the East Coast, where Nova Scotia’s geography is uniquely suited to send rockets east, north, and south.
Rapid-Fire: Greenley’s Boldest Calls
- The technology we’re underestimating: space-based power generation — satellites collecting solar energy and beaming it wirelessly back to Earth. “That’s coming.”
- The biggest threat to the space boom isn’t capital or geopolitics — it’s launch supply, the choke point as thousands of new satellites and orbital factories come online.
- Moon over Mars: living and working on the moon will occupy the world for 15+ years; Mars is the “stretch goal.”
A $155-Billion Defense Wave Is Coming
- Canada’s defense spending is set to more than double — from roughly $60 billion a year today to about $155 billion by 2035.
- Greenley’s warning, drawn from Canada’s WWII industrial surge: without a sustained sense of urgency, decades-old procurement bureaucracy will get in the way of scaling.
- The surprising shift: banks, miners, and automakers — who never used to talk defense — now see it as central to Canada’s economic future.
Space Is Already in Your Life 20 Times a Day
- Greenley’s framing: it’s the 1500s all over again, and the Earth-to-moon zone is a new continent worth trillions — one Canada is uniquely qualified to help settle.
- Satellites already touch the average person’s life around 20 times a day, and MDA’s networks (it builds the satellites behind Apple’s iPhone connectivity) could bring some 2 billion unconnected people online.
- Commercial trips to the moon are coming within a decade — Hilton is already helping design habitats for orbiting space stations MDA co-owns.
Don’t miss our next episode! The final in our series!
