The company vying to build Canada’s first commercial rocket launch pad in Nova Scotia has signed a deal with a German aerospace firm that could see orbital launches by 2028.
Maritime Launch Services Ltd. says Germany’s Isar Aerospace plans to build a dedicated complex at its site near Canso, N.S., for Isar’s Spectrum rocket.
The two-stage rocket is designed to carry small- and medium-sized satellites into space. The company, which has already established its first launch site in Norway, has created a new Canadian subsidiary, Isar Aerospace Canada Inc.
“While every nation needs data from space, almost no nation has the end-to-end capability to access it independently,” Alexandre Dalloneau, Isar’s vice-president of mission and launch operations, said in a statement.
“This makes launch capacity one of the most consequential bottlenecks in defence and intelligence today, and we are here to close it. Canada is the next step in our road map to bring full, end-to-end launch capability to sovereign nations.”
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Canada does not have the ability to launch space projects on its own and has relied on the United States to get its satellites into orbit. Ottawa has flagged space launches as a key sovereign capability in its new defence industrial strategy. The 2025 budget also earmarked $183 million over the next three years for establishing space launch capabilities.
In March, the federal government signed a 10-year, $200-million lease with Maritime Launch so Canada can send satellites into orbit without the help of other countries or foreign corporations. Defence Minister David McGuinty said at the time that about 20 per cent of the Canadian economy relies on satellites, including banking and telecommunication systems.
Spaceport Nova Scotia is being developed to provide launch infrastructure for commercial, civil and defence clients and is expected to become Canada’s first commercial launch pad when it becomes operational this year. It will provide Isar with the launch site, an operations centre and more services. It says Isar could be conducting up to 40 launches per year at the site by 2029.
“This agreement represents another important milestone in building Canada’s sovereign launch capability,” Stephen Matier, CEO of Maritime Launch, said in a statement. ”By combining Isar Aerospace’s launch vehicle, Spectrum, with Spaceport Nova Scotia’s licenced infrastructure, we are creating the conditions for reliable orbital launch services from Canada.”
Maritime Launch officials signed the deal in Turkey on Tuesday during a NATO defence industry summit and were not immediately available for comment. In a news release, the company said Isar will begin construction this year with plans for space launches by 2028. The 10-year deal will see Isar pay Maritime Launch US$3.75 million per fiscal quarter once the contract is fully underway.
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