CANSO — After a decade of disappointments, delays and only faint signs of progress, Spaceport Nova Scotia may finally be getting the kind of fuel it needs to become the first facility of its kind to deliver commercial rockets from Canadian soil to the next frontier.
In an announcement late last week, Maritime Launch Services (MLS) confirmed that Export Development Canada has provided the project with a $10-million loan to accelerate development of orbital launch facilities near the tiny coastal community of Canso – best known for its rugged charm and coastal fishery.
“This commitment by EDC marks another major step forward for Maritime Launch and Canada’s growing commercial space sector,” said Stephen Matier, MLS president and CEO, in a news release on Oct. 24. “EDC’s support helps us advance the build out of Spaceport Nova Scotia as we prepare for orbital launch operations.”
Vice-president of communications and corporate development Sarah MacLean went even further, telling The Journal in an interview following the announcement, “We’re thrilled. This is a great, great validation of support for what we’re building in Canso... It’s moving ahead. It’s moving forward.”
Earlier this month, MacLean confirmed the company planned to launch its second-ever suborbital flight from its Canso facility – a demonstration mission with T-Minus Engineering slated for mid to late November. That rocket, the Barracuda, is designed for civil and defence research and will fly under Transport Canada oversight.
Still, MacLean made clear last week that the new funding has nothing to do with the company’s upcoming suborbital flight. “This is [for] orbital launch [capabilities] above and beyond… suborbital,” she told The Journal. “So, the [EDC financing] is for orbital launches.”
Specifically, the $10-million “credit facility” – structured as an initial $5-million disbursement, with the rest to follow through staged draw downs – will support construction of a launch pad and other “infrastructure development required to support future orbital missions,” according to the news release.
The company has not confirmed a date for its first orbital launch, but in her interview, MacLean said MLS expects to begin preparing the site “within the coming months,” with an eye towards a mission window in late 2026 or early 2027.
It’s been a long time coming for MLS.
Founded in 2016 by Stephen Matier – a former NASA engineer from Albuquerque, New Mexico – the company began with a bold promise. A veteran of the White Sands Test Facility, where he once worked on shuttle propulsion safety systems, Matier saw an opportunity on a stretch of East Coast scrubland to establish a Canadian launch site capable of serving the growing global demand for satellite deployment.
The company’s original plan was to launch Ukrainian-made rockets from the site, but that vision was scuttled by geopolitical disruptions and the war in Ukraine, forcing a pivot. MLS rebranded not as a rocket-maker, but as a launch-services provider – effectively, an airport for commercial aerospace firms.
The transition wasn’t easy. Delays in permitting, a patchwork of evolving federal and provincial regulations, and pushback from a segment of the local community complicated progress. Critics raised concerns about environmental impact, property values, and whether the project would ever become more than mere ‘high’ concept.
Finances have also remained tight. As recently as this summer, The Journal reported that MLS had no operating revenue and had posted a net and comprehensive loss of $2.19 million for the six-month period ending June 30. Financial filings showed a growing working capital deficit – $14.9 million in current liabilities versus $69,720 in cash on hand. The company’s ability to continue operating – it acknowledged alongside a standard “going concern” warning in its quarterly statements – depended on continued investor support.
That support, MLS insisted, remained strong. In an interview at the time, MacLean said shareholder confidence, strategic partnerships and conditional tax credit agreements with federal and provincial governments demonstrated a clear path forward. She cited recent agreements with Leafspace and Reaction Dynamics as signs of early revenue momentum and proof that MLS was still on course.
In the announcement last week, EDC president and CEO Alison Nankivell said the federal agency was proud to back the project: “Our financing support for Spaceport Nova Scotia underscores our commitment to helping Canada’s economy become more resilient and competitive on the world stage and to fostering the growth of innovative Canadian companies.”
Echoing that sentiment, federal Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu stated: “By advancing our space sector, we are building an ecosystem that supports good jobs, fosters technological excellence and enhances our nation’s economic resilience and security.”
For his part, Cape Breton–Canso-Antigonish MP Jaime Battiste called the announcement “proof that Nova Scotia is becoming a hub for innovation, technology and opportunity,” adding that “the continued progress at Spaceport Nova Scotia will bring new economic activity to our rural communities, inspire young people and position Canada as a leader in the global space ecosystem.”
MLS has received conditional approvals for up to $30.7 million through Nova Scotia’s Capital Investment Tax Credit program and $12.9 million under the federal Strategic Innovation Fund. According to company disclosures, these supports are reimbursement-based and subject to completion of eligible project milestones. No funds have yet been disbursed under either program.
According to a 2023 economic impact report by the Conference Board of Canada, construction of Spaceport Nova Scotia could contribute as much as $171 million to national GDP, support nearly 750 full-time jobs in Nova Scotia, and generate more than $300 million annually in GDP once operational.
