Space Innovation CanadaBuild with us

Turning technology readiness into deployable capability

Canada's proving ground for technologies that cannot fail.

A Canadian non-profit developing a Prairie-based suborbital platform for late-stage validation of space, defence and dual-use technologies. Bringing industry, government, Indigenous communities and researchers together to advance it.

Platform in development

Discuss a testing requirementExplore collaboration

Mission profile

ENVSUBORBITAL
STATUSPROPOSED
DATACANADIAN
MODEREPEATABLE
01

Governed accessClear pathways into real-world validation

02

Canadian-controlled dataMission evidence retained as national value

03

Industry-led executionDelivered by qualified operators and specialists

DEFSEC Atlantic 2026

Meet Space Innovation Canada at DEFSEC Atlantic.

We’re meeting with defence and space organizations, technology developers, accelerators, researchers and delivery partners to shape Canada’s Prairie-based suborbital validation platform.

Regan Hinchcliffe
Regan HinchcliffePresident & Managing Director
October 6–8, 2026Halifax, Nova Scotia

The national gap

The gap is not innovation. It is execution.

Canada produces world-class research and technology. The harder step is proving performance in operationally relevant environments, repeatedly and on Canadian soil.

Suborbital flight evidence helps assess technology readiness and supports investment, procurement and commercialization decisions. Domestic campaigns can build mission data, operational learning, workforce capability and supply-chain value in Canada.

01

Sovereign capability

Trusted domestic pathways for technologies tied to defence, security, space and critical infrastructure.

02

Operational evidence

Mission data and test evidence that support qualification, procurement, commercialization and investment.

03

Compounding value

Experienced people, validated suppliers and institutional learning that strengthen with every campaign.

Our mission

To enable SMEs and applied researchers to validate and scale critical technologies from Canadian soil.

The Prairie opportunity

The Prairie-Based Suborbital Validation Platform.

The proposed Prairie platform would bring high-altitude balloons, sounding rockets and supporting services together for space, defence and dual-use validation. Site options and participation are being developed with prospective partners.

The proposed model starts with a defined mission and would offer rideshare missions and dedicated suborbital campaigns for integrated systems, matched to each mission’s testing and evidence requirements. Shared missions are designed to spread common costs and make suborbital testing more accessible.

  • Repeatable high-altitude, high-velocity and microgravity campaigns
  • Mission-appropriate corridors, telemetry, data capture and recovery
  • Indigenous partnership pathways, governance roles and long-term opportunities developed with participating communities
  • National access for Canadian SMEs, researchers, defence and industry partners

Current development status

Building the national pathway.

We are aligning industry, government, Indigenous communities, researchers and technical partners around a shared validation capability. The platform is in development and is not yet operational.

  • Strategic scoping underway
  • Partner roles and governance being structured
  • Mission requirements being defined
  • Implementation pathway being developed

Target test environments

Suborbital validation across
demanding operational conditions.

SIC is developing suborbital flight campaigns to help teams test technologies beyond the lab, identify performance gaps and reduce risk before orbital missions or operational deployment. Each campaign would match high-altitude, high-velocity or brief microgravity conditions to the payload’s testing needs, readiness and available test duration.

SIC is developing suborbital flight campaigns to help teams test technologies beyond the lab, identify performance gaps and reduce risk before orbital missions or operational deployment. Each campaign would match high-altitude, high-velocity or brief microgravity conditions to the payload’s testing needs, readiness and available test duration.

High-altitude

Evaluate sensors and payloads in upper-atmosphere conditions.

Potential applications
  • Imaging and remote-sensing payloads
  • Communications and antenna systems
  • Atmospheric and environmental instruments

Help developers validate technologies for earlier wildfire warnings, more reliable communications in remote areas and better environmental monitoring.

High-velocity

Explore technology performance during high-speed flight.

Potential applications
  • Sensing, navigation and communications systems
  • Satellite components and payloads
  • Materials and heat protection
  • Hypersonic and re-entry technologies

Evaluate technologies for selected hypersonic and re-entry applications where the mission provides relevant speeds, thermal loads and test duration. Generate evidence to improve reliability and reduce deployment risk.

Microgravity

Test experiments and equipment during brief periods of reduced gravity.

Potential applications
  • Cell biology and biomedical research systems
  • Fluid handling and drug-development experiments
  • Plant-science and materials experiments
  • Combustion and fire-safety research

Support selected biomedical, fluid, plant-science, materials and combustion experiments during brief microgravity periods. Test equipment and methods before committing to longer orbital missions.

Illustrative images. Applications depend on mission profile, payload readiness and available test duration.

Evaluate sensors and payloads in upper-atmosphere conditions.

Explore technology performance during high-speed flight.

Test experiments and equipment during brief periods of reduced gravity.

Platform in development

Illustrative images. Applications depend on mission profile, payload readiness and available test duration.

From mission to evidence

Define the mission. Assemble the delivery network.

SIC’s suborbital campaign model starts with a mission need, then brings together SMEs, researchers and delivery partners around a shared validation mission. Campaigns would combine compatible payloads on rideshare missions or test integrated systems through dedicated missions, with testing and evidence requirements defined for each participant.

  1. 01

    Define the mission

    Establish the mission need, testing objectives and evidence required, then select the appropriate test environment.

  2. 02

    Assemble the delivery network

    Bring together SMEs, applied researchers and qualified delivery partners. Select mission-ready technologies for rideshares or dedicated integrated-system campaigns, and align the vehicles, integration, range, telemetry and recovery services needed to deliver the suborbital campaign.

  3. 03

    Integrate and deliver

    Work with qualified partners to integrate payloads and systems for rideshare or dedicated suborbital flights, with coordinated operations, testing and data capture.

  4. 04

    Validate and repeat

    Use mission evidence to inform further development, procurement, investment and future campaigns. Share anonymized, non-confidential findings and lessons learned to inform future research, improve validation methods and support the next generation of Canadian innovation.

Platform architecture

A governed execution layer for real-world validation.

SIC is developing the structure that brings technology companies, researchers and delivery partners into repeatable suborbital flight validation campaigns. Four connected elements hold it together.

A01

Access

Governed pathways that define who can test, when they can test, and the readiness required to enter a campaign.

C02

Capability

Coordinated vehicles, mission operations, safety systems, telemetry, recovery and range services.

D03

Data

Canadian-controlled mission evidence and operational learning, with anonymized, non-confidential findings shared to support the next generation of innovation.

C04

Capital

Aligned industry, public, ITB, sponsor and research funding that supports execution, not only design.

The proposed operating model

Governed by SIC. Delivered with industry.

SIC would coordinate the program and protect its public-benefit mandate. Qualified partners would deliver the vehicles, operations and technical services.

SIC will coordinate

The programmatic
layer

  • 01Reference mission and campaign architecture
  • 02Governed access and readiness pathways
  • 03Partner, site and capital coordination
  • 04Data continuity and public-benefit safeguards

Qualified partners will deliver

The mission
capability

  • 01Vehicles, payload integration and mission operations
  • 02Safety, regulatory and range services
  • 03Telemetry, data capture and recovery
  • 04Technical, research and commercialization support

Leadership

National leadership for a mission that crosses sectors.

SIC brings together governance and specialist guidance spanning defence, space operations, commercialization, Indigenous engagement, finance, policy and law.

Board of Directors

Responsible for SIC's governance, strategic direction and public-benefit mandate.

Allied Launch & Policy

David Beck

Former U.S. Space Force senior leader and Branch Chief for Space Access, Mobility and Supply Chain. He directed Space Standards Integration for U.S. Space Force Acquisition and shaped allied launch and industrial-base strategy.

President & Managing Director

Regan Hinchcliffe

Regan Hinchcliffe is President and Managing Director of Space Innovation Canada, where he leads the organization’s strategy, partnerships and development. He co-founded sMedia and spent 13 years scaling it from a startup into a multinational marketing technology company recognized among Canada’s fastest-growing companies for four consecutive years.

Cyber Compliance & ITBs

Rocky Singh

President of Third Rock Consulting and an ecosystem enabler with more than 20 years embedded with aerospace & defence Primes and Tier 1s. From MENA to Japan, he aligns ITB capital, cyber readiness and allied partnerships to turn innovation into deployable capability.

Defence, Industrial Benefits & Systems

Jeffery Smith

Senior leader at Kongsberg Maritime with more than 25 years in defence, naval systems and autonomous technologies. He brings expertise in Industrial and Technological Benefits frameworks, advanced systems integration and Canadian naval operations.

Commercialization & Allied Policy

Kim Van Vliet

Founder of ConvergX® and ConvergX® Xpand™ and Deputy Chair of NIAG’s Community of Interest with Allied Command Transformation (ACT). Recognized among Canada's Top 20 Women in Defence, she brings global commercialization, allied policy and cross-sector partnership leadership.

Senior Advisory Team

Cross-functional guidance across the disciplines required to move from concept to safe, credible execution.

Finance & Governance

Scott Bauman

Finance and governance experience spanning energy, infrastructure and emerging technologies.

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Finance and governance leader with experience across energy, infrastructure and emerging technologies. His expertise spans capital strategy, financial controls, sustainability and long-term institutional governance.

Industrial Strategy

Karen Chase, MBA

AnchorPoint founder with 20+ years in defence, aerospace, space and advanced technology.

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Founder of AnchorPoint Industrial Benefits Advisory and a senior executive advisor with more than 20 years of experience across the defence, aerospace, space, and advanced technology sectors. She specializes in Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) and offsets strategy, government and defence procurement, Indigenous participation frameworks, proposal governance, and government funding and incentive program strategy.

Technology Transfer & IP

Martin Ciuk

Innovate Calgary technology-transfer leader with 15+ years in IP and commercialization.

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Associate Director of Technology Transfer at Innovate Calgary with more than 15 years in IP strategy, commercialization and multinational research frameworks. His expertise includes data governance, public-funding alignment and technology-transfer models.

Marketing & Strategic Communications

Shauna Cotie

Ocean Girl Designs founder specializing in ocean technology and defence communications.

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Founder of Ocean Girl Designs and a specialist in communications and stakeholder engagement across the ocean technology and defence sectors. She supports national industry alignment and partnership development.

Spaceport Operations

Harvey Doane

Former Maritime Launch Services & Spaceport Nova Scotia COO with 30+ years of infrastructure leadership.

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Former COO of Maritime Launch Services, where he led operations and governance for Spaceport Nova Scotia. He brings more than 30 years of infrastructure leadership, stakeholder engagement and operational execution.

Space Law & Governance

François Paul Lambert

Orbital Reach Principal with experience spanning Project Kuiper, Galileo and Copernicus.

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Space lawyer and executive, Principal at Orbital Reach™ and Co-Founder and Co-CEO of ASCEND™. His experience includes Amazon Project Kuiper and the EU flagship programs Galileo and Copernicus, with expertise in market access, licensing and space governance.

Indigenous Engagement

Michael LaRocque

Scout Engineering consultant focused on Indigenous capacity building and workforce development.

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Project Consultant at Scout Engineering specializing in Indigenous engagement, capacity building and workforce development aligned with infrastructure initiatives.

Land Use & Corridor Planning

Peter Scholz

Cairnstone Principal with 25+ years in land-use and corridor planning.

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Principal of Cairnstone with more than 25 years in land-use and corridor planning. A former Senior Planner with the Government of Nunavut and Regional Director for Alaska to Alberta Railway, he brings Arctic infrastructure and multi-jurisdictional development expertise.

Technical, Regulatory & Space Operations

Bryan Zetlen

Sundogs Group Managing Partner with NASA, Blue Origin and Axiom experience.

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Managing Partner at Sundogs Group and Director, Strategic Initiatives at Virtus Solis. A former NASA, Blue Origin, Axiom, Boeing and Sea Launch leader, he brings expertise in launch operations, systems engineering, ISAM/ISRU, spaceport development and policy.

Build with us

Define a mission. Bring your testing need. Help build the capability.

We’re engaging technology developers and researchers with validation needs, alongside government, Indigenous communities, industry and delivery partners interested in shaping the platform.

I’d like to discuss

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