From Newfoundland to orbit: How a Canadian company is shaping the future of climate science
Since , Canada has held the unique status of being the only non-European cooperating state of the European Space Agency (ESA). Through the Canada–ESA Cooperation Agreement, Canadian companies gain access to ESA programs and opportunities, opening the door to Europe's space market and fostering international success stories.
In the heart of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, a team of engineers and scientists is quietly making waves on the international stage. What began over a decade ago as a modest collaboration between Canadian innovation hub C-CORE and the European Space Agency (ESA) has grown into a flagship partnership – one that's now helping the world better understand climate change from space.
A critical role in a groundbreaking ESA mission
The collaboration reached a new milestone with ESA's Biomass mission, launched in . Designed to measure how much carbon is stored in Earth's forests, the mission provides essential data to help scientists track climate change and inform global conservation efforts. At the heart of this mission is a powerful new technology: a P-band radar that can peer through dense tree canopies to measure forest biomass. It's the first time such a radar has been deployed in space – and to ensure its precision, ESA turned to C-CORE.
Selected as the official supplier of the Biomass Calibration Transponder, C-CORE delivered a ground-based device that fine-tunes the satellite's radar signal. The result? Sharper, more reliable climate data with global implications.
Canadian know-how, European reach
This success didn't happen overnight. It was made possible through the Canada–ESA Cooperation Agreement, a unique international partnership led by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) that gives Canadian companies access to ESA missions and markets. For C-CORE, it has opened the door to not just one, but a series of high-profile ESA projects, including the Sentinel-1 study on next-generation Earth observation and the development of AI tools for methane detection.
Complementing this international collaboration, the CSA has played a key role in C-CORE's growth by providing targeted funding through programs like the Space Technology Development Program and smartEarth. These initiatives have enabled C-CORE to advance critical technologies, expand its expertise, and increase its competitiveness in a fast-evolving global market.
A win for Canada's space sector
The ripple effects go beyond one company. C-CORE's achievements have created skilled jobs in Atlantic Canada, built national capabilities in satellite calibration, and reinforced Canada's growing influence in the global space sector.
C-CORE's journey from a local research centre to a key ESA partner shows how long-term vision and international cooperation can drive both innovation and economic opportunity. As climate science becomes increasingly dependent on satellite data, partnerships like this one aren't just beneficial – they're essential.
From a quiet lab in St. John's to a satellite orbiting Earth, C-CORE is helping the world see our planet more clearly – and charting a course for a more sustainable future.