OTTAWA: Canada said on March 16 it will commit C$200 million over 10 years to secure a dedicated launch pad at Spaceport Nova Scotia, a step the federal government said will anchor a sovereign space launch capability from Canadian soil. The launch pad, to be built near Canso, Nova Scotia, will support the operational needs of the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Armed Forces and other federal users, while also allowing ad hoc access for allied partners at the multi-user site.
The agreement is structured as a 10-year lease with Maritime Launch Services, the Halifax-based company developing the spaceport. Maritime Launch said the contract is retroactive to April 1, 2025, and carries a total value of C$200 million, with payments of C$20 million a year. The company said the first payment is due before March 31, 2026, followed by quarterly payments, and that about 90% of the gross rental revenue must be spent in Canada.
Federal officials said the leased launch pad will serve as the central foundation of the Nova Scotia complex, while Maritime Launch remains responsible for maintaining the facilities and continuing the broader buildout of the site. The company said that work includes additional launch pads, a launch control centre, payload integration and testing facilities, and related infrastructure. Maritime Launch said the dedicated federal launch pad is expected to reach an initial operational capability state by the end of 2026.
Sovereign launch buildout expands
The Nova Scotia lease was announced alongside a wider package aimed at building domestic launch capacity. Defence Minister David McGuinty said the government is providing C$105 million in multi-year grants through the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program’s Launch the North contest. The goal is to achieve an initial light-lift operational capability by 2028. NordSpace, Canada Rocket Company and Reaction Dynamics were each conditionally approved for C$8.3 million in first-round funding, according to National Defence.
McGuinty also said Canada intends to become a full member of NATO’s STARLIFT initiative, which is designed to create a network of launch options across allied countries for short-notice missions. The federal government said the Nova Scotia spaceport will support not only defence and civilian requirements in Canada but also allied and partner access when needed. Canada does not currently operate its own orbital launch capability and has relied on foreign launch providers to place satellites and other payloads into space.
Project timeline and approvals
The Nova Scotia project has been moving through regulatory and site development steps for several years. The province approved the Canso Spaceport Facility project in June 2019, subject to environmental conditions. Maritime Launch said in August 2022 that it had satisfied the construction-related conditions tied to that approval and could begin work on a 335-acre crown land site near Canso, Little Dover and Hazel Hill. The company has described the location as a commercial and government launch site on Canada’s Atlantic coast.
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Minister Sean Fraser said the federal lease is intended to position the Nova Scotia project as a cornerstone of Canada’s defence capabilities in space. Ottawa said the site, once operational, will allow satellites to be launched directly from Canadian soil and will form part of the sovereign launch program first outlined in Budget 2025. The federal government described the investment as core infrastructure for a Canadian-owned spaceport and a central element of domestic launch capability. – By Content Syndication Services.