CANSO — Declaring its “deep commitment” to building Canada’s space capability in Nova Scotia, Maritime Launch Services (MLS) says it’s moving ahead with its second-ever suborbital mission – and its first in two years – from its Canso ground facility, targeting a launch window in mid- to late- November.
MLS Vice President of Corporate Affairs Sarah McLean confirmed the upcoming mission in an email to The Journal last week, responding to questions about the company’s long-anticipated start of formal commercial operations.
“We are planning a suborbital demonstration mission with T-Minus Engineering,” she wrote, adding:“We are looking at dates in mid-late November…This will be our second suborbital launch from Canso. We completed a suborbital demonstration with Arbalest Rocketry in 2023.”
McLean noted that the company will launch the Barracuda – a high-powered rocket designed for civil and defence research – under Transport Canada’s jurisdiction. The process includes application submission, regulatory oversight, a defined safety zone, and coordination with Nav Canada and local emergency management officials.
“This demonstration mission allows our team and partners to continue strengthening our collective capacity to work with all relevant stakeholders in the community and with federal and provincial regulators,” she wrote.
“In terms of timing, we will apply for a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) at the end of October. The NOTAM provides a multi-day window during which the launch will occur … and will outline the general timeframe for launch and associated safety precautions to the public.”
McLean’s comments follow a Journal story published in September that examined MLS’s financial position and progress in developing Canada’s first commercial spaceport in Nova Scotia — a project launched in 2016 by company founder and CEO, former NASA engineer Stephen Matier.
The report noted the company’s pre-revenue status, referenced a “going concern” note in its financial filings, and highlighted uncertainties around timelines and funding. In her letter, McLean pushed back on parts of that coverage, arguing that such disclosures are standard for early-stage ventures and do not indicate distress.
“We found the characterization of our company’s current progress in your previous article to be somewhat unfair, given the level of factual and transparent information we provided,” she wrote. “The ‘going concern’ note referenced in your piece... is a standard disclosure for any pre-revenue company... and does not indicate distress.”
The upcoming launch also ties in with MISSION 03, a public engagement initiative organized by STORIES of Space, a nonprofit working with MLS and T-Minus Engineering. The campaign invites Canadians of all ages to submit written stories and student-designed mission patches — visual emblems representing the launch — that will be included with other payload items aboard the suborbital rocket. According to a press release issued on Oct. 3, all submissions will be stored on micro-SD cards and launched from the Canso site. “At Maritime Launch, we are deeply committed to building Canada’s space launch capability in Nova Scotia, not only to strengthen Canada’s role in the global space sector, but to inspire the next generation,” McLean said in the release.
Submissions for MISSION 03 are open through the STORIES of Space website.
