Canada Rocket Company to build first large-scale engine test site

Canada Rocket Company (CRC) has announced plans to build the country’s first large-scale static rocket engine test facility in London, Ontario. The C$30 million (US$21.15 million) project, named the Jeremy Hansen Test Facility, is intended to establish sovereign Canadian launch capabilities.

Located on 50 acres leased from the Greater London International Airport Authority, the site will feature a 12,000-square-foot office and fabrication building alongside a dedicated engine test area. This area will include up to three vertical and horizontal test stands capable of testing engines that produce more than 1 meganewton (MN) of thrust. The facility is expected to be operational by 2028.

CRC is currently developing a reusable, medium-lift rocket to provide satellite operators with more orbital access options. The company has already secured C$8.3 million from the Department of National Defence’s IDEaS Program. CEO and co-founder Hugh Kolias noted that this capability would place Canada among fewer than 10 countries worldwide with such testing infrastructure. The project is expected to create approximately 40 skilled jobs at the London site within 18 months, with a broader goal of creating 1,000 jobs through the company’s wider development program.