CANSO — “I definitely want to see it succeed, and I do want the area as a community to feel ownership,” Canadian astronaut Colonel Jeremy Hansen told guests at the rocket launch viewing event at Spaceport Nova Scotia in Canso June 10.
Maritime Launch Services (MLS) conducted a suborbital launch demonstration from the spaceport, in partnership with T-Minus Engineering B.V., at 8:51 a.m.
Hansen, who recently returned from NASA’a successful Artemis II mission around the moon, later spoke to students from the Canso and Guysborough area at Chedabucto Education Centre/Guysborough Academy in Guysborough about his experience in space and answered students’ questions.
MLS hosted about 100 guests for the launch — including elected officials and the company’s partners — at a tented viewing area near the Sable Wind turbines in Little Dover.
Hansen didn’t speak from the podium at the launch event, instead chatting with individuals and small groups of guests in the reception area.
“I just had such a privilege to fly in space and see our planet from space,” he told Ray White of Canso during one conversation. “I had such extraordinary pride for our country and what we’re capable of doing. This is inspiring for me to see another first happening here.”
The demonstration launched the Barracuda, a hypersonic, single-stage, solid-fuel suborbital vehicle capable of carrying payloads of up to 40 kilograms to altitudes of approximately 80 kilometres.
“The successful execution of launch operations demonstrates the growing capability of Spaceport Nova Scotia and the dedication of the team, community partners, and regulators who have helped make this milestone possible,” said Stephen Matier, president and CEO of MLS in a news release. “Today’s demonstration strengthens our operational readiness and validates the infrastructure, procedures, and expertise required to support Canada’s sovereign launch capability and future commercial, civil, and defence missions from Nova Scotia.”
After the launch, Mattier added, “You probably noticed after that nominal initial part of the flight that there was an unplanned diversion, a dog leg, if you will. That is going to require some data analysis to try to figure out what happened.”
A second launch planned for later that morning was cancelled.
“We had a similar issue in November, where they ended up concluding that one of the fins was askew at the end… They get they get pretty hot. Those were one of the changes that was made to this vehicle.”
Matier said the June 10 launch was about team building for future launches.
“This is certainly an important milestone for us in that regard, and working with that whole concept that NATO Starlift is about, where we have a launcher and we have a payload and we have a launch site that’ll collectively can come together to do a mission like this.
“And I think I heard we’ve reached at least 75 kilometres in altitude, if not more. They are looking at a lot more data to try to figure that out.”
Representatives of NATO Starlift – a program focused on enhancing rapid satellite launch capabilities, enabling member and partner nations to deploy or replace satellites quickly for military and commercial purposes – were in attendance.
“Today’s launch was an important step forward in the development of the Barracuda rocket,” said Roel Eerkens, co-founder, T-Minus Engineering, in the MLS news release about the launch. “It moves us closer to providing research institutions and defence organizations with meaningful access to near-space environments and high-performance platforms for testing, training, and technology development.”
During an interview with The Journal, Sarah McLean – MLS vice president of corporate affairs – confirmed that the rocket landed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Visitors to the launch were greeted by banners newly erected by area residents opposed to the project as they drove into Canso early that morning. Messages included, “$200 million up in smoke.”
In March, the federal government announced a 10-year, $200-million agreement to lease a dedicated space-launch pad at the site, to support operational needs of the Department of National Defence, Canadian Armed Forces, “and the wider Government of Canada, while also offering ad hoc access to allies and partners,” said a federal release.
“There are implications around national security, but there’s a global impact, of what’s going on here as well,” Central Nova MP and Minister of Justice Sean Fraser said from the podium after the demonstration launch. “When I think about the partners that are listed, the three levels of government all represented, Indigenous leaders represented, partners in the private sector represented, partners from the Netherlands who joined us here today. This really demonstrates what you can do when you bring people together.”
Space sovereignty
Fraser noted that over the past 18 months or so, the Liberal federal government has initiated “a renewed focus on building sovereignty into our economy and into our systems of government.”
“We need to make sure that we can build an economy in a country that can stand on its own two feet. I don’t very much like the idea of having to rely on partners who have different priorities around the world, when it comes to meeting the needs that we have, to power our own economy, to defend the interests of Canada, to get communications technology and infrastructure into space. We need to make sure that we can take care of our own backyard. And, through the partnerships that we’ve developed here, we’re taking an enormous step forward in that regard,” he added.
Local benefits
Guysborough-Tracadie MLA Greg Morrow talked about the long road to get to this day.
“I remember covering the spaceport idea when I was a local journalist, and to see it through the different stages and now to be here as the MLA for the area, it’s very exciting.
“There’s a lot going on in Guysborough County, and this is just one of the big projects we have on the horizon… It means so much. It’s jobs, it’s economic development. You’re looking at housing opportunities. You’re looking at new business. The possibilities are endless.”
Over the past 10 years, Fraser said, more young people are moving to the province, rather than leaving, “for the first time in a very long time.”
“And the reason is, people are starting to believe that you can actually do big things in Atlantic Canada. When we see companies stepping up, like MLS, saying, ‘We can do big things here,’ it gives a confidence to the region that allows more people to believe in themselves and to believe in the community that they call home. When you see people from around the world, literally who’ve returned from the moon, showing up in rural Nova Scotia for an event like this, it speaks volumes.”
Municipality of the District of Guysborough Warden Paul Long said, “It is incumbent upon our level of government to work hand in hand with our colleagues at the provincial and federal level, to ensure that developments are well planned, that they’re safe, and economically viable for the long term.”
Asked what this development means for the people of Canso, local councillor Finn Armsworthy, a long-time supporter of the project, said, “We’re ready to go.”
In its news release, MLS said it has worked closely with Transport Canada, NAVCANADA, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Kluskap Security Services, the Guysborough County Inshore Fisherman’s Association, provincial regulators, local emergency management organizations, and the Municipality of the District of Guysborough “to ensure disciplined execution and adherence to all approved safety protocols throughout the launch window.”
What’s next
Asked about timing for the spaceport’s next launch, McLean told The Journal they don’t “have a date to share regarding the next suborbital mission at this time, but we are aiming for the fall. Our primary focus though remains advancing construction at Spaceport Nova Scotia as we prepare for orbital launch operations beginning in late 2027/2028.”
The company will soon issue RFPs for construction of two buildings at the side. “We expect that one will go out this week, if not next week. It will be available on the Lindsay Construction website,” said McLean. “The other one will be closer to the end of the month.”
