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3d ago

Canada Leases Spaceport Nova Scotia Pad for CA$200 Million to Build Sovereign Launch

The decade‑long DND lease anchors domestic access to orbit with a 90% in‑Canada spend requirement.

NordSpace's Taiga sub-orbital rocket is raised for its first flight attempt near St. Lawrence, NL in August 2025.
An aerial view of the site for NordSpace’s Atlantic Spaceport Complex under construction just outside St. Lawrence, NL.
An artistic rendering of the Atlantic Spaceport Complex to be built by NordSpace near St. Lawrence, NL.
The RADARSAT Constellation Mission satellites used by the Canadian military were launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from a U.S. Air Force Base in California, on June 12, 2019.

Overview

  • Defence Minister David McGuinty announced a 10‑year, CA$200 million agreement giving DND a dedicated launch pad at Spaceport Nova Scotia, retroactive to April 1, 2025.
  • Maritime Launch Services receives an initial CA$20 million before March 31, 2026, followed by CA$5 million at the end of each fiscal quarter, with roughly 90% of payments to be spent in Canada.
  • The dedicated military pad is targeted for initial operational readiness by the end of 2026 at a dual‑use site that already has one operational pad.
  • Three domestic firms — Canada Rocket Company, Reaction Dynamics and NordSpace — were awarded CA$8.3 million each under Launch the North to advance responsive light‑lift vehicles targeting initial capability as late as 2028.
  • Officials said the investments reduce reliance on foreign launch services and confirmed Canada’s intention to join NATO’s STARLIFT initiative for allied rapid‑launch options.