Canada Rocket Company plans to create approximately 40 skilled jobs in London, Ontario over the next 18 months as it develops a $30-million rocket engine test facility.
The aerospace company is also developing training and workforce partnerships with Western University and Fanshawe College to help students prepare for aerospace careers and strengthen the region’s engineering and technical workforce.
Named in honour of Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, the planned facility will support static testing of engines for CRC’s reusable, medium-lift rocket. The company describes it as Canada’s first large-scale rocket engine test facility.
Located on 50 acres leased from the Greater London International Airport Authority, the site will include a 12,000-square-foot office and shop building, with space for engineering, fabrication, assembly, and test preparation. A dedicated engine testing area will accommodate up to three test stands.
The project adds to an established local aerospace industry. According to London Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Kapil Lakhotia, more than 40 defence and aerospace companies already operate in the city.
“London has the expertise, talent and ecosystem to support this kind of innovation,” Lakhotia said. “The new facility at London International Airport adds an entirely new dimension to that strength.”
Beyond the London facility’s planned workforce, CRC projects its broader rocket development program will create roughly 1,000 jobs and generate more than $1 billion in new investment over the next decade.
The company has received $8.3 million through the Department of National Defence’s IDEaS Program to support its work developing Canadian space capabilities.
CRC is working with the airport, regulators, and the local community as planning advances. The facility is expected to be fully operational in 2028.