The mission, planned for next year, is part of the aerospace startup's new Space Systems Laboratory.
Canadian aerospace startup Nordspace'The first satellite launch into space will be carried out on Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket in 2026.
The Terra Nova satellite mission announced today is part of the new NordSpace Space Systems Laboratory, which the company says reflects its long-term goal of delivering technology to space missions. An aerospace startup from Markham, Ontario wants to develop space launch vehicles, launch pads and satellites entirely in Canada and repeatedly tried to run its first suborbital rocket from its Atlantic spaceport complex.
NordSpace has tried twice launched its suborbital Taiga rocket from Newfoundland, but failed due to technical problems such as a fire on the launch pad and a faulty ignition safety system. It is currently awaiting government approval before its next attempt and plans another suborbital flight next year and an orbital launch of its larger Tundra rocket in 2027.
In a press release, NordSpace founder and CEO Rahul Goel said the new lab and upcoming satellite mission “represent a focused and necessary expansion of our capabilities” that the company has been working on for more than a year.
“The most successful space launch companies, from SpaceX to Rocket Lab, are investing in and developing space systems and private infrastructure capabilities to expand their launch capabilities,” Goel said. “For the same reason, the integrated nature of NordSpace’s mission is a strategic imperative, and we are just getting started.”
The Terra Nova satellite is fully funded by NordSpace and can be used for both defense and commercial purposes, the company said. It is designed to collect and analyze data in orbit using artificial intelligence (AI) models powered by an Nvidia processor. According to NordSpace, artificial intelligence models will help detect non-radiating objects (space objects that do not emit waves of radiation), rogue ships and aircraft over the Canadian Arctic, and early signs of wildfires.
CONNECTED: NordSpace and C-Core partners to build ground station infrastructure across Canada
The satellite is scheduled to launch in June 2026 as part of SpaceX's Transporter 17 mission. SpaceX's program gives small satellite operators the ability to launch its Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket into orbit.
The Space Systems Laboratory in Markham is equipped with test equipment and will have the capacity to produce one small satellite per month, the company said.
NordSpace was presented in BetaKit The most ambitious to facilitate Canada's first commercial space launch.
Image provided Unsplash. Photo by SpaceX.
