Canadian aerospace startup NordSpace’s first satellite launch into space will hitch a ride on a rocket from Elon Musk’s SpaceX in 2026.
The Terra Nova satellite mission, announced today, is part of NordSpace’s new Space Systems Lab, which the company says reflects its long-term goal of supplying technology for space missions. The Markham, Ont.-based aerospace startup wants to develop space launch vehicles, spaceports, and satellites entirely in Canada, and has repeatedly attempted to launch its first suborbital rocket from its Atlantic Spaceport Complex.
NordSpace has tried twice to launch its Taiga suborbital rocket from Newfoundland, but fell short due to technical issues such as launchpad fires and a faulty ignition safety system. It’s currently waiting for government approval before its next attempt, and is planning another sub-orbital trip 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 deliberate and necessary expansion of our capabilities,” which the company has worked toward for over a year.
“The most successful space launch companies, ranging from SpaceX to Rocket Lab, distinctly invest in and develop space systems capabilities and private infrastructure, enhanced by their launch capabilities,” Goel said. “For the same reason, the end-to-end 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 has both defence and commercial uses, the company said. It’s designed to collect and analyze data in orbit, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) models powered by an Nvidia processor. According to NordSpace, the AI models will facilitate the detection of non-emitting objects (space objects that don’t project waves of radiation), illicit ships and aircraft over Canada’s Arctic, and early signs of wildfires.
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The satellite launch is set to launch on SpaceX’s Transporter 17 “rideshare” mission as early as June 2026. The SpaceX program gives small satellite operators the opportunity to launch into orbit on its Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket.
The Space Systems Lab in Markham is equipped with test facilities and will have the capacity to produce one small satellite per month, the company said.
NordSpace was featured in BetaKit Most Ambitious for its goal of facilitating Canada’s first commercial space launch.
Feature image courtesy Unsplash. Photo by SpaceX.