Canada Rocket Company Breaks Ground Plans for National Engine Test Site in London, Ontario

Canada Rocket Company will build Canada's first large-scale rocket engine test facility at London International Airport, a $30 million complex for static firing of its methalox engines. The company describes the site as a foundational step toward sovereign Canadian launch capability, with full operations expected by 2028.

CRC is developing a reusable medium-lift rocket capable of delivering up to 12,500 kg to sun-synchronous orbit, powered by its own E-1 methalox engine. The company argues that medium-lift remains the class most missions need, even as the largest providers shift toward heavy-lift vehicles and capacity reserved for their own constellations. Founded in 2025, CRC says it is backed by a team including SpaceX and Blue Origin alumni and cites more than 150 years of combined orbital launch experience.

The facility, named the Jeremy Hansen Test Facility after the Canadian astronaut who became the first Canadian to fly around the Moon, will sit on 50 acres leased from the Greater London International Airport Authority. The lease covers an engine test area and a 12,000-square-foot office and shop building used for engineering, assembly, and test preparation. Placing the shop next to the stands is meant to keep engine build-up, instrumentation, and test operations in one place rather than splitting the work across distant sites.

The test area is planned for up to three vertical and horizontal stands, with the ability to static-fire engines producing more than 1 MN of thrust. Vertical stands are typically used for flight-like firings, while horizontal stands are often used earlier in a campaign for access, instrumentation, and engine development work. The London stands will not put a rocket into orbit, but they are the ground infrastructure CRC needs before an engine like E-1 can be treated as flight hardware.

CRC expects to create about 40 skilled jobs at the London site in the next 18 months, spanning engineering, fabrication, and test preparation. The broader vehicle program is projected to generate roughly 1,000 jobs and more than $1 billion in additional investment over the next decade. The company is also forming training and workforce partnerships with Western University and Fanshawe College to grow the regional aerospace talent pipeline.

"Canada's path to its own access to space starts on the ground. This facility is where our engineering becomes hardware, and where we put our engines to the test," said Hugh Kolias, CEO and co-founder of Canada Rocket Company. "Building in London means investing in Canadian talent and giving our team the tools to turn rocket designs into proven technology. We look forward to working with the London community to build that capability here."

London Economic Development Corporation president and CEO Kapil Lakhotia said the project adds a new dimension to a city that already hosts more than 40 defence and aerospace companies. "London has the expertise, talent and ecosystem to support this kind of innovation," he said. "We're thrilled to welcome Canada Rocket Company to London and support what comes next."

CRC said it is working with the airport, regulators, and the local community as planning advances, with the facility expected to be fully operational by 2028. The company's workforce partnerships with Western University and Fanshawe College will develop alongside the site as hiring proceeds over the next 18 months.