Canada Rocket Company is to build the country’s first large-scale static rocket engine test facility in London, Ontario, a foundational step toward establishing sovereign Canadian launch capability.
The C$30 million (US$21.15 million) facility, to be named the Jeremy Hansen Test Facility in honor of the Canadian astronaut who flew around the moon on Artemis II, will give Canada Rocket Company (CRC) is being built on 50 acres (20ha) of land leased from the Greater London International Airport Authority.
The site will include a 12,000ft2 (1,115m2) office and shop building housing offices and a fabrication area for engineering, assembly and test preparation, alongside a dedicated engine test area with up to three vertical and horizontal test stands. The stands will be capable of static-testing engines producing more than 224,809lbf (1MN) of thrust.
The facility is expected to open in 2028.
CRC is developing a reusable, medium-lift rocket intended to give satellite operators greater choice in how they reach orbit. The company has received C$8.3 million (US$5.8 million) from the Department of National Defence’s IDEaS Program, and the test facility is a step toward its broader goal of building Canadian sovereign space capabilities.
Canada Rocket Company expects to create approximately 40 skilled jobs at the London facility over the next 18 months, and says 1,000 jobs will be created overall by the broader development program.
Hugh Kolias, CEO and co-founder of Canada Rocket Company, said, “This is the first large-scale static rocket engine test facility in Canada, capable of testing engines producing more than 1MN in thrust. With it, Canada joins a small group of less than 10 countries worldwide with this capability.”
Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II astronaut, said, “The reason a Canadian flew around the moon on Artemis II is because we, as a country, have worked for decades to innovate with the goal of progress and a better future. Missions like Artemis II depend on a strong national space sector, and sovereign launch is an important part of Canada’s future.”
