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. Last week, the company announced that the launch had been postponed until March 2026—both to avoid “unpredictable winter weather conditions” and because Canada’s Department of National Defence opened a sovereign space launch competition, with applications due Jan. 9, 2026. NordSpace is also 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.
NordSpace was featured in BetaKit’s Most Ambitious issue for its goal of facilitating Canada’s first commercial space launch. In an email, a NordSpace spokesperson said the SpaceX launch mission will allow the company to develop low-cost satellites and test hardware that it eventually hopes to use in its rockets.
“But as it relates to launch, one of the most valuable things will be putting ourselves in our future customers’ shoes who will be launching satellites with us,” the spokesperson said. “Understanding their challenges and requirements as satellite operators ourselves will allow us to best serve them.”
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. The NordSpace spokesperson said the lab will construct satellites for soon-to-be-announced contracts, as well as contribute to a space robotics mission launching in 2028.
Update (12/2/25): This story has been updated with additional commentary from a NordSpace spokesperson.
Feature image courtesy Unsplash. Photo by SpaceX.