Defence minister announces $200M for Canadian-owned space launch pad in Nova Scotia
On Monday, Minister of National Defence David Mc Guinty shared that Ottawa will invest $200 million over ten years to lease a dedicated space launch pad near Canso, N. S., aiming to lay down groundwork for a future spaceport catering to Canada and its allies.
He mentioned that Ottawa does not wish to rely completely on external parties for launching rockets but did not specify any names.
Mc Guinty also disclosed Canada’s intention to become a full member of NATO’s Starlift initiative, which aims to create a network enabling allies to send payloads into orbit quickly.
The Halifax-based company Maritime Launch Services is developing Spaceport Nova Scotia and will establish the site close to Canso, N. S.
Stephen Matier, CEO of the publicly traded company, said that this federal contract will benefit his company by signaling strong market confidence in the development of the spaceport and acting almost like an anchor tenant at a mall.
He expressed that having sovereign launch capabilities marks significant progress for Canada.
“For years, we’ve been taking our satellites from MDA Space or Kepler or those here in Canada and writing big cheques to Space X to launch them from Florida or from California,” Matier said.
“Space X is selling extra space on their rockets.. but you don’t get to go where you want or when you want.”
WATCH | Canada is getting a commercial spaceport, but will it take off?:
Canada is getting a commercial spaceport, but will it take off?The construction of Canada’s first commercial spaceport is currently underway in the small coastal community of Canso, N. S. As CBC’s Tom Murphy explains, this project promises thrilling rocket launches along with job creation and tourism revenue; however, there are challenges ahead and some local residents aren’t fully supportive.The announcement comes as we see an increasing number of spacecraft being launched into orbit at an impressive rate.
Mc Guinty indicated that over the next five years we can expect around 70,000 satellites launched into low-earth orbit globally.
David Perry, president of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute think tank stated that having sovereign launch capacity would help ensure Canadian satellites won’t have long waits before they’re launched.“You just have way more control over our own destiny. We aren’t at the mercy of someone else’s priorities and schedules,” he remarked. “So Canadian national priorities get action quicker than if we’re relying on other people’s infrastructure.”
WATCH | Space launch pad coming to Canso:<img src="https://ontariochronicle. ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1773730104_611_default. jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" loading="lazy"/Space launch pad coming to Canso
The federal government has announced a ten-year agreement worth $200 million for leasing a dedicated space launch pad meant as groundwork for future developments in Nova Scotia’s aerospace sector. The CBC’s Amy Smith spoke with Central Nova MP Sean Fraser regarding this news.Sarah Gallagher, former advisor at the Canadian Space Agency who now directs Western University’s Institute for Earth and Space Exploration noted that few countries worldwide possess their own sovereign launching capabilities.
“We have our own space assets in outer space; therefore being able to access them immediately with resources under our control matters greatly. Additionally having a launch site right here in Nova Scotia offers substantial benefits,” she explained.
“The latitude of Nova Scotia allows access different types of orbits based on specific needs. Clearly we’re very concerned about northern regions; hence having such facilities positioned further north becomes highly beneficial.”
This initiative forms part of the Liberal government’s broader plan aimed at enhancing domestic defence capabilities.
The budget set aside $183 million over three years specifically towards establishing independent national capacities concerning satellite launches.Source link
