Newfoundland and Labrador is expected to become part of Canadian space history on Friday, when the country’s first commercial rocket launch takes off from near St. Lawrence on the Burin Peninsula.
The launch will be a test of NordSpace’s single-engine rocket, called Taiga — a six-metre tall rocket created using 3D-printed metal. The launch was originally scheduled for Monday, but the initial launch and subsequent rehearsals were hampered by weather.
The launch will be suborbital, meaning the rocket won’t orbit Earth, and will only be in the air for about a minute before it splashes into the Atlantic Ocean.
NordSpace CEO Rahul Goel told CBC News his team is beyond excited for the launch.
“This is something that our whole team has been working so long for, investing so much in,” Goel said. “We want to deliver success. We’re feeling great about tomorrow.”
If all goes well, Goel said the launch should begin at around 6:30 a.m. NT Friday.
Speaking with CBC News in January, Goel said St. Lawrence serves as a top location for a commercial space launch because of its ideal position to achieve the right orbital inclinations for a rocket launch.
NordSpace was founded in 2022, and built the rocket entirely in Canada. Goel said he believes the country’s first commercial spaceport will greatly benefit the St. Lawrence area, while creating jobs and helping Canada toward space sovereignty.
“To show Canadians that we can do this, and especially [in] a place like rural Newfoundland, I think it’s just so special,” Goel said.
“Doing this in a commercial way is what’s really important about this, and this is going to be the first step to unlocking that for Canada.”
NordSpace is also planning another suborbital launch next year, with plans to send it’s larger Tundra rocket into orbit in 2027. It will also be expanding its operations in St. Lawrence with a second launch pad and infrastructure developments in the coming years, Goel said.
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