Information About
NordSpace's Maiden
Flight from the
Atlantic Spaceport Complex
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October 27, 2025 16:00 EST: Upon returning from the launch site, our team replicated the exact conditions experienced due to the unexpected limitations presented by our liquid oxygen propellant supply in Newfoundland relative to our test facilities in Ontario. These conditions led to poor cryogenic propellant quality in our vehicle's tanks (specifically, due to the pressure and volume differences in the dewars presently available in Newfoundland), as most of the high quality cryogenic propellant would be used to pre-chill and top-up our flight tanks ultimately leading to the fuel-rich condition. We did not expect these differences in the propellant supply to be of concern, but environmental differences may have been the source of longer "chill and fill" times. We made attempts to address the issue during our launch window with some procedural changes and more efficient pad operations, but they were insufficient. Although recalibrating Taiga was simple at our facility in Ontario, it was not possible at the launch pad with the temporary infrastructure we had in place for this first test flight at the Atlantic Spaceport Complex.

The physical upgrades and calibrations required for Taiga have been completed to ensure compatibility with the aforementioned conditions at our facilities in Ontario, and over the coming days, integrated static fire tests will be re-run to confirm nominal performance. We will publish footage from these standard tests. Key lessons have also been learned related to vehicle testing, site procedures, personnel management, and stakeholder relations.

It is anticipated that Taiga's launch can take place as early as mid-November, but we expect the launch authorization to delay this until early/mid December, 2025. The majority of NordSpace's team is working on our orbital rocket program, satellite program, spaceport development, and expansion of our manufacturing and testing facilities in advance of orbital-scale tests commencing early 2026. Our orbital launches will benefit from the development of on-site cryogenic propellant generation, and a wide array of additional permanent infrastructure.
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About This Launch

This December, NordSpace will be making history by performing the first commercial rocket launch in Canada — a fully privately funded and managed initiative crucial for Canada to build a space launch capability that supports our security, economy, and sovereignty. This launch will also be the first commercial liquid rocket launch in Canadian history, and the first commercial launch from a commercial Canadian spaceport. As you'll note, the word commercial is significant. Globally, the commercial space economy has grown over the past 20 years to accomplish feats only nations and their governments were able to accomplish. In fact, countries like New Zealand, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Sweden, India, the United Kingdom, and many more have built sovereign space launch capabilities ahead of Canada.

Canada was the third nation to build a satellite with Alouette-1 in 1962, and has a long history of incredible successes in space from robotics to astronauts. Although our nation has never had an orbital launch program (which is what NordSpace aims to deliver), back in the 1950s we did have a government funded and supported sub-orbital rocket program which led to the development of the Black Brant and the Churchill Rocket Research Range in collaboration with Canadian Armament Research and Development Establishment (CARDE) and the National Research Council Canada. In contrast, so far NordSpace's efforts have been entirely privately financed and managed, in line with the growth of commercial space leading the way around the world. We take great pride in advancing Canada's efforts from decades past and taking this first step to open the floodgates to space from Canadian soil.

This pathfinder mission for NordSpace, called "Getting Screeched In", will be a demonstration flight of our fully Canadian-made sub-orbital rocket - Taiga. We believe that it is critical for a Canadian launch capability to be supported by Canadian designed and manufactured rockets, launching from Canadian soil, by a 100% Canadian owned company. Our team has been painstakingly building our Taiga launch vehicle, powered by our proprietary 3D printed liquid rocket engine, called the Hadfield Engine. Explore the FAQ below for more information about this historic launch, and we welcome you to join us as we open this new frontier for Canada.
When and Where is the Launch Taking Place?
The launch is taking place at NordSpace's Atlantic Spaceport Complex (ASX) SLC-02, outside the town of St. Lawrence in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. If you are unfamiliar with launches, it is important to note that they often experience scrubs due to weather or technical delays, so we recommend preparing accordingly. Our aim is to launch at the first ideal moment.
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Where Can I Learn More About NordSpace?
NordSpace is an exciting company, building a lot more than just launch vehicles. We are working towards building an end-to-end space mission capability for Canada, which includes everything from infrastructure for testing and launching engines and rockets, to satellites and robotics for low Earth orbit, the Moon, and one day even further in our solar system. Our mission is to advance life on Earth from space, so many of our missions including our first satellite launching next year (called Terra-Nova) are built to be the first step for capabilities like detecting wildfires from space using artificial intelligence, to save homes and lives, or monitoring whale populations in the North Atlantic. To learn more about NordSpace, explore this website, or watch a recent presentation we delivered at the Canadian Space Launch Conference.
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How are you Managing Public Safety?
Safety is always the top priority, and our team has gone to great lengths to ensure it. This is also why we are starting with a smaller scale launch. NordSpace's activities, including this first launch, are heavily regulated and require many approvals from governing bodies including Transport Canada, NAV Canada, the Newfoundland and Labrador Departments of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, Environment and Climate Change, and many more. We will have regulators and inspectors on-site with us monitoring our activities, along with independent third-party safety inspectors as well who are all highly experienced and certified.

We have spent over a year performing countless tests, thousands of simulations, and investing in a wide array of risk mitigation tools and processes to ensure that everyone is safe. We also are employing local services, like the Fire Department, to assist in case of emergency. However, as long as you follow the guidelines and allow our team of engineers to focus on their efforts, we're sure you'll have a wonderful time witnessing this historic moment for our country.
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Where Do You Recommend Watching the Launch From?
There will be an exclusion zone along Lighthouse Road, so for your safety and for smooth operations please do not follow that road. It will be blocked and managed by Government of Canada staff as well as launch safety personnel. We recommend joining us and the public at the end of the Cape Chapeau Rouge Trail (https://maps.app.goo.gl/83w6xEwPvQf9nn5J8) for the best view. Members of the NordSpace team will also be present there to answer any questions you may have. We recommend hiking shoes, and planning for a 90 minute hike to reach the highest peak and best viewing location. The view of the Burin Peninsula is magnificent there, as it is one of the highest points in the entire province.
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Can I Take My Boat Out to Watch the Launch?
For public safety, the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) has issued a NAVWARN advising all boaters and mariners to remain clear of a maritime exclusion zone surrounding the ASX. This is a 3NM radius of 46 53.160N 055 18.413W. Please visit CCG website here for more details: https://nis.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/public/rest/messages/en/message/174249
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Why Choose Newfoundland & Labrador for the Atlantic Spaceport Complex?
There are over 20 factors we considered when finding the ideal location in Canada to plan and build the Atlantic Spaceport Complex. Launching over the ocean allowed us the maximum number of orbital inclinations we could access and improved safety. Working with a provincial government and local community that is enthusiastic and supportive was also critical, which we found and more in the beautiful province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Town of St. Lawrence. Access to utilities, roads, and local services were also essential. We explored nearly 30 locations across Canada before deciding on this one. It's now time to build Canada's first gateway to space!

A common misconception is that Canada is too far north for efficient launches. While launches from the equator certainly are more efficient for some orbits, the ASX is situated at a 46° latitude with clear flight paths over a wide range of launch inclinations and is particularly well suited for polar orbits. For reference, Russia has been launching at the same latitude of 46° since the beginning of the space age, and other spaceports around the world at higher latitudes include Andoya (Norway) at 69°, Esrange (Sweden) at 68°, Saxxavord (Scotland) at 61°, Pacific Spaceport Complex (United States) at 57°, and others.
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Do you Offer Special Access for Media?
Yes! Please contact us at contact@nordspace.com for more information. We are excited to have local and national news already committed, and if you'd like to be there as well, please contact us for more information. We will also be releasing video footage of the launch for public use, along with other details.
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Will You be Handing Out any Memoribilia?
Yes! We will be handing out iron-on mission patches (scroll to the bottom of the page to see what they look like) to commemorate this historic event. We'll also be handing out mini Canadian flags, as well as keychains. It's all free, and while supplies last!
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How Much Does Weather Affect Your Launches?
Weather is an important factor, but only one factor that determines selecting a location to launch from (especially in Canada). For our first launch, we're being more meticulous than we usually would, because it is new for us (and a much smaller vehicle than Tundra) so we'd like to maximize our chances of success and ensure public safety. Newfoundland is known to be windy, and wind does affect our launches, but not significantly more than many other launch sites around the world (particularly those in coastal regions). With our intent to launch 2-3 times a month at our peak capacity at the ASX as we ramp up, we have no concerns waiting for ideal windows. Our launch windows are likely to last about a week in duration for any launch, and launches are likely to occur close to dusk or dawn when conditions are often most ideal.

Contrary to popular belief, fog is not a concern as rockets do launch in thick fog (helps keep marine traffic away as well!). Temperature is not either, and lower temperatures are preferred in many cases for rockets like ours which use cryogenic propellents. Relative to launch sites around the world including Russia, Norway, Alaska, Sweden, and more, the ASX is quite balmy at a latitude of 46°! Precipitation is typically a showstopper for launches, so it will be something to watch out for. The ASX receives about 1,250 mm annually. Compare this to, French Guiana (Europe's primary launch site) and Cape Canaveral, Florida which experience upwards of a whopping 3,000 mm and 1,350 mm annually. Many other examples highlight how the ASX and Newfoundland will experience standard launch delays and scrubs, and it's nothing we will not be prepared for.

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What is the Difference Between a Sub-Orbital and Orbital Launch?
An orbital launch is one where the rocket reaches not just a higher altitude, but achieves orbital insertion where it has the ability to permanently place objects like satellites in orbit around the Earth. A sub-orbital launch is one where the rocket does not enter Earth's orbit, typically because it is a smaller and less powerful rocket. NordSpace is currently working on its orbital rocket, Tundra, which will be a two-staged vehicle powered by multiple of our 3D printed Hadfield engines. Our Taiga sub-orbital rocket, by contrast, is powered by a single Hadfield engine and a single stage. There are many other important differences such as active versus passive controls, or the feed systems for the propellents (pump versus pressure).

Taiga is about 17 feet tall and 1 foot in diameter. Tundra would be about 75 feet tall and approximately 15 feet in diameter - quite the jump! Tundra would also launch from SLC-01, as SLC-02 will be reserved for smaller launches and ground support equipment for SLC-01 such as satellite/rocket communications, range tracking radar, and more. Taiga's flight is a partially-fuelled test that will last about 60 seconds. Our goal is to fly Tundra for the first time as early as 2027.
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Both Taiga and Tundra are liquid fuelled rockets, which is an important distinction from much simpler solid fuel rocket systems. Our rockets use conventional kerosene and liquid oxygen for its propellents, with complex systems to manage fluid flows and cryogenics. This allows our rockets to be far safer and more performant, and also allow for reusability. Crucially, our vehicles are designed, manufactured, and flown in Canada.

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Who Can I Contact for More Information?
If you have any questions, please contact us at contact@nordspace.com. If you are contacting us close to the launch, our responses may be slower. If it is urgent, you may also consider contacting the Town of St. Lawrence - they are very helpful and friendly and are a big part of this launch!
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Pour Tous Les Canadiens
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