Canadian companies race to launch rockets in orbit from home soil – one first
On September 29, 1962, Canada’s Ulout I Satellite launched an American rocket from the Wandenberg Air Force Base in California. That day, Canada became just the third country – behind the former Soviet Union and the United States – to design and build its own satellite.
Since then, we have been an active country in the space sector: we have created a Canaderm that has helped deploy satellites from space shuttle; Then came Canadarm 2 which built the International Space Station; We have put hardware on the rovers that are trailing in a dusty Martian landscape and on satellites traveling far and wide.
But one thing that has never been done is launching the rocket from the soil of the house in the classroom.
Two companies – Nordspace and Reaction Dynamics – want to change it.
Although it may not look like a pressure issue, they say it will produce jobs and increase sovereignty at a time when Canada is demanding more freedom.
“I think sovereign abilities are very important in general and true sovereign access to space capacity means that Canadian-made payload satellites from a Canadian-made rockets from Canadian-made rockets to launch from a Canadian spaceport. And if we have no one of those three, is it really a sovereign ability?” Nordspace founder and CEO Rahul Goel said.
“So that’s why it is important to build rockets, build satellites, to build a real launch site. It is really important for us to ensure that it becomes a Canadian capacity.”
Nordspace is Preparation to launch Its 4.5 meter long Taiga rocket next week from Newfoundland. This will be a sub -lonch launch, which means that it will not revolve around the Earth. But after another sub -projection in the following year, it is planned to send its large tundra rocket – 26 meters long – in 2027. The rocket will be able to launch up to 500 kg in space.
A new space economy
Bashar Elzine Reaction is the founder and CEO of Dynamics.
His company has a similar plan to launch a rocket in class. It recently participated with Maritime Launch Services (MLS) at the first commercial spaceport in Nova Scotia – Canada – ensuring that they have a place to launch.
And like Nordspace, it is all Canadian.
“Everything is not made only in Canada, everything is made in our factory,” Elzin said. “Our goal is to produce more than 90 percent of rocket components at home and in our factory.”
He strongly believes that the rocket launch industry is not only about sovereignty, but also about creating a space economy.
“As an industrial country … we need a way to reach that orbital economy to benefit from it. The Canadian satellites are going to be anywhere between 600 to 1,000 jobs launched,” he said.
And when he is in competition with Nordspace, he is not worried.
“I strongly believe that the product we are advancing will be extremely competitive. At the end of the day, Canada needs a launch capabilities. If we have a company competing, two companies, three companies … It is actually reaching the point where the capacity can be achieved and distributed,” he said.
MLS founder Steve Matier agrees. This is part of the reason that he started the company.
MLS founder Steve Matier said, “At the end of the day, we need to be able to see and depend on ourselves to keep our own satellites in class. We do not know what will look geologically in the world. We did not think we were today, six, seven, nine months ago,” MLS founder Steve Matier said.
Initially, MLS Spaceport in CANSO, NS participated with Ukraine to provide the country with launch capabilities. However, the ongoing war means that there is no longer an alternative to near period.
But Matier said that the company is now partnership with others like NATO and European partners, while still maintaining relations with America.
“So there are a lot of good reasons for us that are capable of giving our own colleagues, but are also able to give our colleagues.”
Efforts are underway to bring rocket launch to Canada, eventually with the goal of sending satellites from home soil into orbit. For the national, CBC’s Nicole takes a close look at the Mortilaro industry and why it is invested in developing the country’s commercial space capabilities.
At home
Although there was no capacity To launch rocket from Canada In the past, Canadian students have constant Rocket competitions won in America
In 2018, Launch Canada It was installed, stepped to fill that void. It is a national non-profit organization that helps to pursue Roti in Canada. It also brings students across the country to launch and compete in more.
Jean-Kloud Pidboff, vice president of the Canadian Space Agency, said, “Before the competition here, he had to go out to test. Now … they would be more and more capable of testing in Canada.” “So even though there is international competition, it will be quite easy for them to develop our technology, and perhaps we can attract competition in Canada and if we have the ability to launch from Canada.”
Goel and his team come from that pool of the students.
“Companies like NordSpace … actually exist only because the student community, amateur community is,” Goel said. “We punch very much above our weight internationally. So we really pull from that talent.”
Oleg Khalimonov is a rocket engineer who graduated from the University of Concorda two years ago. Their most recent achievement was leading a team of students of the university, which is called the Starslore -Canadian soil to launch the most powerful rocket created by the students.
It was launched on August 15 from the area area 250 km north of Mysticini, Q.
“We have actually written a creary name for the rocket because we are launching out of the Mysticini,” said Khalimonov. “So we named Rocket Chikbish, who is a hero from a creation folk songs. He is also called Star Boy.”
The largest student-made rocket to be launched from Canada was sent from Misticini, Q. In the morning hours on August 15, 2025
Now that Canada is actively chasing its rocket and launch capabilities, it is optimistic about the future. And he believes that the launch capabilities must only have to reside in the private sector.
“Maybe … we can actually develop a orbital space program within a university. Can you imagine that a university is capable of launching its own satellites?” He said. “This will be the first in the world. Canada can become a center of space research.”
Elgin is a major fan to keep Canadian talent at home.
He said, “I am very proud to bring my friends back, who completes PhD abroad. We used to study together as students, we built rockets together as students, we won the competitions together as students,” he said.
“We have amazing talent in Canada. The education we have, it is outstanding the universities we have … and you want to give those engineers a way for their dreams and their ambitions.”
For Goel, he is happy to see the recent rise in Canadian pride.
He said, “We used to blow our flag real high and talk about sovereign abilities, and people thought it was a bit strange. Suddenly it’s a good thing.”
“And you know, we definitely welcome. And we are happy that people, Canadians, are really feeling why investing in Canada, construction in Canada is as important as we think it’s.”
