The commander of the Canadian Armed Forces Space Division says gaining awareness of what's going on outside our planet is one of his top priorities.

Brig.-Gen. Michael Adamson made the comments in front of the House of Commons national defence committee as it studies the military's role in defending space.

He says the military relies on satellites for everything from planning to communication.

With space launches becoming easier and cheaper, private companies and countries like China are sending more and more satellites into orbit.

But Canada has very little information about what those satellites are doing.

Norad monitors launches and re-entries, but it lacks the ability to keep an eye on things happening outside the atmosphere.