CANSO — Thanks to a landmark agreement between Canada and the U.S., the founder of this country’s lone prospective commercial spaceport thinks he’s looking at a new lease on life for his company’s 333-acre site in the Canso area, which has yet to launch a single satellite into the wild blue yonder, despite nearly a decade of prepping.
“For us, this is monumental,” said Stephen Matier, CEO of Maritime Launch Services. “It’s been seven-and-a-half years of effort and then another two years of actual negotiations by governments to bring it to pass... Now, I can secure one of those U.S. launchers to come on up.”
Matier spoke to The Journal by phone on Aug. 2 from Halifax, following the signing there of the Canada-U.S. Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA), which effectively permits Canadian companies to handle and host U.S. space technology and rockets on Canadian soil. The agreement – the first of its kind – opens up a market that could be worth billions of dollars a year to Canada’s space sector, according to some estimates.
“The achievements in Canada’s space sector have long been an inspiration for all Canadians,” Central Nova MP and Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Sean Fraser said at the announcement. “Maritime Launch, here at home in Nova Scotia, is a tremendous example.”
Added Mike Kelloway, MP for Cape Breton-Canso: “[This constituency] is currently at the forefront of so many emerging industries and economic opportunities, and today we move closer toward the final frontier, commercial space flight. We are proud to be home to Canada’s first commercial spaceport.”
Matier said the TSA establishes a framework for the protection of sensitive technologies and intellectual property, including launch vehicles and satellites, ensuring that both countries can collaborate on space-related projects while maintaining the highest standards of security and compliance.
“This agreement not only strengthens the strategic partnership between Canada and the United States, but also opens new avenues for growth and development within the Canadian commercial space sector by allowing U.S. technology to be launched to space from Canadian soil.”
For Matier – who said he pushed the cross-border discussions every step of the way – it’s also a personal victory. Since 2016, when he selected Canso for its geographic suitability as a sub-orbital and orbital launch site in the then-emerging commercial satellite business, he’s endured delays related to COVID-19 and disruptions caused by geopolitical turmoil. In 2022, the provincial government gave him the go-ahead to build a pad from which to launch their rockets. But, earlier this year – faced with difficulties securing Cyclone 4Ms from Ukraine due to the war with Russia – he switched tracks, adopting an “airport model” for MLS.
In May, he told The Journal, “Think of Stanfield International. It leases space to Air Canada and WestJet or United [Airlines]. They pay an annual cost for that area and gate access. Stanfield provides fuel, hospitality, lights, power, personnel and all those kinds of things. Now, translate that to a spaceport. Launch vehicle developers build their own rockets and work with their own satellite clients. We then lease them our facilities and provide control center, payload processing, facility gases, air-space coordination, [and] Nav Canada Transport.”
Last week, Matier said the new TSA will actually work better under the new launch model.
“In 2023, the global space economy was $630 billion, and that’s headed to one-and-a-half trillion dollars by 2035. In 2022, the launch segment of that business was $10 billion. We only need three to five per cent of that market to be successful... The U.S., meanwhile, is maxed out on how much they can launch. I have a letter from the United States Space Force calling for Canada to have a spaceport, because they want to see additional launch capability.
Just as crucially, the TSA provides investors with a much-needed measure of security that’s been missing. In the absence of revenues from operations, MLS’s private investors have been supporting the company – which posted a net loss of $7,450,698 in 2022 – for years.
“Certainly, our investors wanted to see this,” Matier said. “Our [potential] launch vehicle customers wanted to see this before they start investing in a launch pad. And our [potential] satellite clients wanted to see it before they start spending money to send their satellites up here to be launched... So, this is all super enabling for us.”
Still, not everyone will be thrilled by the news.
In June, Canso resident Jim Geddes – who indicated he was affiliated with the group Action Against Canso Spaceport, and who said he represents the interests of “over 400 voting age” local residents who have signed a petition opposing the spaceport – told the The Journal in an email:
“We are worried about our health, safety and wellbeing. No level of government has bothered to come to this area to explain the impacts of living next to an operating spaceport. With the closest full-time residence three kilometres from... MLS, can the government guarantee that no residents will be permanently forced from their homes through a buy-back program, expropriation or some other method?”
For his part, Matier said he has discussed his future operations with the community and believes he has the support of most people there.
As for his immediate plans for new commercial spacefarers from the United States, he said: “You can bet that I am in discussions with a number of them.”
