The rocket did not reach its target altitude, but it brought Canada's launch efforts closer to success.
Marine Launch Service (MLS) conducted its first commercial rocket launch and second launch overall. Although the mission didn't go according to plan, it did push the company to supply to Canada independent launch capabilities.
“Today we are one step closer to an orbital launch from Canadian soil.”
Stephen Mathieu
Sea launch services
The Halifax, North Carolina-based company launched a single-stage Barracuda rocket from Dutch firm T-Minus Engineering at its development site near Canso, North Carolina, on Thursday at 10:54 a.m. EST. The craft did not reach its planned altitude of 100 km, the unofficial but widely accepted Karman line marking entry into space. However, according to the statement, Barracuda still sent a symbolic cargo of stories of students and creators to the “edge of space.”
The Halifax Examiner noted concern that MLS may have provided little warning to area residents by not issuing a press release prior to the launch. However, the company said it was “working closely” with federal, provincial and municipal authorities to comply with safety regulations. MLS delayed the launch by several hours to give the two ships time to move away from the rocket's planned flight path. Transport Canada also told the Examiner that it issued a notice to local boaters and aviators ahead of the event.
Despite the limited altitude, CEO Stephen Mathieu called the flight a “total mission success” that provided useful data. He also described the mission as evidence of progress in the construction of the Nova Scotia Spaceport, which will serve as a launch center in the future. It only has one launch pad, but is expected to have four when completed.
“Today we are one step closer to an orbital launch from Canadian soil,” Mathieu said.
MLS previously helped launch a York University student rocket that was not intended to reach space. Mathieu told The Globe and Mail that he awaits one or two more suborbital launches in 2026, with an orbital launch likely in 2027.
The takeoff comes as MLS sees both growing opportunity and growing competition. The federal government's 2025 budget allocated $182.6 million to the Department of National Defense to develop a sovereign launch capability over the next three years. Officials speaking at the SpaceBound industry conference this week said some of the money will be used to develop the rocket.
Earlier this month, Canadarm creator MDA Space invested $10 million in MLS. The funding is expected to “accelerate” work on the Nova Scotia Spaceport and make MDA an “operating partner” at the facility.
MLS was actually fighting with Markham, Ontario-based NordSpace to get into space and provide commercial launch services in Canada. NordSpace has tried twice to launch its Taiga rocket, but was unable to due to technical problems and is waiting for government approval before the next attempt.
NordSpace founder and CEO Rahul Goel continues to see the MLS achievement as a positive development for the Canadian space industry. An executive told BetaKit via email that Maritime Launch has the “full support” of NordSpace and that both companies share the “goals and vision” for orbital launches in the country.
Image courtesy of Maritime Launch Services.
