Canada expands military space launch access and funds Arctic satellite communications

Canada's Department of National Defence signed a 10-year, C$20 million agreement with NordSpace for access to the Atlantic Spaceport Complex in Newfoundland and Labrador, adding to an earlier agreement with Maritime Launch Services. Ottawa also awarded Kepler Communications a C$4.7 million, two-year contract to develop and test optical inter-satellite links that could improve military communications in the Arctic and other remote regions. Canada announced full membership of NATO's STARLIFT space-launch initiative and plans for a new Royal Canadian Air Force Space Mission Operator occupation. The announcements concern launch access, technology development and future resilience; they do not indicate that a new military satellite constellation has already been launched.