Former astronaut Marc Garneau is urging Ottawa to develop a national space policy to ensure Canada remains a player on the world stage.

Garneau said countries like Brazil, China and India are developing ambitious space programs as they try to play catch up to the U.S., Russia and Europe.

"Space is becoming an increasingly crowded area and I think it's important for Canada to be present there in order to have a voice," Garneau said Thursday at a press conference.

He said a national space policy would help Canada accomplish national objectives.

"Canada is a vast country, it's resource rich, it's sparsely populated with a lot of remote communities, it's very concerned about climatic change and it wants to exert its sovereignty -- particularly in Canada's north," said Garneau.

"Space is a powerful tool to help it (Canada) to accomplish many of those objectives."

Garneau also said Canada could provide a glowing example, as it has in the past, of leadership when it comes to the peaceful use of space.

"Next week we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the United Nations treaty on the peaceful uses of outer space," said Garneau. "Canada ratified that treaty in 1967... and I think it's time for Canada again to be a public and heard voice in the international arena."

The call for a national space policy coincides with the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Sputnik satellite.

Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite, was launched by the Soviet Union and is widely credited with starting the Space Age.

The launch prompted the United States to significantly increase its spending on science education and research to compete with the Soviets.