Canadians Are Ready for a Canadian Space Age
A new survey finds Canadians overwhelmingly support growing the country's space capabilities and developing launch infrastructure at home
New polling from Abacus Data is offering new insight into whether Canadians believe the country needs a new spaceport, and more importantly, how they feel about the idea.
More than 80% of Canadians say it is important for Canada to build infrastructure that strengthens our security and sovereignty as a nation, while another 70% believe it is important for Canada to participate in international space missions and similar initiatives.
Meanwhile, 62% say it is important to use space as a driver of jobs and economic growth, while 59% believe it is important for Canada to maintain a strong national space program. Along those same lines, 56% say it is important to expand Canada's space infrastructure, while 54% believe it is important for Canada to compete with other countries in the global space economy.
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With a new spaceport under construction in Canso, Nova Scotia, and the Canadian government investing $200 million into the project, Canadians generally view the initiative as being beneficial for the country.
When asked about expanding Canada’s space and defence capabilities, 67% said it was a good thing, while only 6% said it was bad, with the remaining 20% saying they were neutral on the issue. Similarly, 65% said competing in the global space economy is a good thing, compared to 7% who said it would be bad and 21% who said they were neutral.
Voters from every major party viewed the proposals positively, with Liberal and NDP voters leading the way. Among Liberal supporters, 76% said competing in the global space economy was a good thing, followed by 70% of New Democrats. Conservative voters were somewhat lower at 60%. Likewise, 78% of Liberals and 69% of New Democrats said it is important to expand Canada’s space and defence capabilities, compared to 62% of Conservatives.
When it comes to how comfortable Canadians are with the different purposes a spaceport could serve, support rarely drops below 70%. For instance, 68% said they would be comfortable with supporting commercial space activity at the spaceport, while 70% said they would be comfortable supporting both government and private sector space missions.
Support climbs even higher for other uses. About 73% said they would be comfortable launching satellites into space, while 74% said they would be comfortable supporting Canadian companies that require access to space. Near the top of the list, 78% said they would be comfortable supporting scientific research missions, while 80% said they would be comfortable supporting Canada's defence needs.
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Finally, Abacus found broad support across several different proposals.
When it comes to developing launch infrastructure that strengthens Canada’s economic and security interests, 70% support the idea while only 7% oppose it. Similarly, 68% support Canada having the ability to launch satellites from Canadian soil, while only 9% oppose the proposal.
Even the lowest supported proposal still receives 63% backing. That proposal is the idea that Nova Scotia is the best location in Canada for orbital launches, largely because of its proximity to the ocean and the number of available orbital paths for satellites and similar missions. Only 6% oppose the idea, while 19% remain neutral.
Personally, I believe Canada needs a competitive and capable spaceport, and that more should be built in the future if the need arises. While many people see space as something distant that has little effect on everyday life, the technological advances made through space exploration have shaped our daily lives in countless ways. Providing Canadians with a domestic launch site is another important step in that direction.
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