The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that Michel Forest, the man responsible for space launch operations at Canada's largest commercial satellite operator, gets a frequent request from companies hoping to send their tech to space: Can we hitch a ride? The Globe's Pippa Norman and Irene Galea write that as chief technology officer for Ottawa-based Telesat, Mr. Forest oversees satellite operations, including the company's impending launch of its low-Earth-orbit satellite constellation, Lightspeed. It's a good thing Telesat booked those satellites' tickets to space years ago aboard a series of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launches, Mr. Forest says. Nowadays, seats for the journey into orbit are in high demand, and smaller companies, from telecom companies to experimental satellite start-ups, are hoping to catch a ride. Unfortunately for those companies, Telesat has no room to spare in the launches it has booked. Each launch -- 11 are initially planned, beginning later this year -- will contain 15 satellites, designed specifically to fit snugly within the rocket's payload fairing, without wasting space or money. There are not enough rockets and launch pads available to keep up with the demand for space access.