Terranova and Labrador are expected to be part of the history of the Canadian space on Friday, when the first launch of commercial rockets of the country takes off close to St. Lawrence in the Burin Peninsula.
The launch will be a single Nordspace motor rocket test, called Taiga, a six -meter high rocket created with 3D printed metal. The launch was originally scheduled for Monday, but the initial launch and the subsequent trials were hindered by the weather.
The launch will be suborbital, which means that the rocket will not orbit the earth, and will only be in the air for approximately one minute before splashing in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Nordspace CEO, Rahul Goel, told CBC News that his team is more than excited for launch.
“This is something that our entire team has been working so long, investing so much,” Goel said. “We want to succeed. We feel very good with tomorrow.”
If everything goes well, Goel said the launch should start around 6:30 am on Friday. The first launch window will be open until 11 in the morning, and if it does not happen by then, another attempt can be made on Friday afternoon.
The mayor of St. Lawrence, Kevin Pittman, says that the city office has been receiving calls on the launch throughout the week.
“This morning, there are people throughout the city who find the best place,” Pittman said in an interview on Friday morning.
The mayor added that he expects the space port to bring a “tremendous” potential for tourism in the area.
Talking to CBC News in January, Goel said that St. Lawrence serves as a higher location for a commercial space launch due to its ideal position to achieve the right orbital inclinations for a rocket launch.
Nordspace was founded in 2022 and built the rocket completely in Canada. Goel said he believes that the country’s first commercial space port will greatly benefit the St. Lawrence area, while creating jobs and will help Canada towards space sovereignty.
“To show Canadians that we can do this, and especially [in] A place like Rural Terranova, I think it’s very special, “Goel said.
“Doing this commercially is what is really important about this, and this will be the first step to unlock that for Canada.”
Nordspace is also planning another suborbital launch next year, with plans to send its largest tundra rocket to orbit in 2027.
It will also expand its operations in St. Lawrence with a second launch platform and infrastructure developments in the coming years, Goel said.
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