Where will the Spaceport be located?
The Spaceport Nova Scotia launch site is located near the communities of Canso, Hazel Hill and Little Dover, within the Municipality of the District of Guysborough.
What will Nova Scotians — especially people who live near by — experience when a mission is launched?
When the Cyclone-4M vehicle is launched, it will take one and a half to two minutes to leave the atmosphere, creating about the same momentary sound in the local community as an airplane taking off.
How often will launches occur?
We expect to launch approximately eight missions per year by our fifth year of operations.
How are our local, provincial, and federal governments involved in the development and oversight of Canada’s first spaceport?
As we design and build this facility, we are collaborating across many departments and levels of government. The launching of satellites is within the jurisdictions of transport, environment, worker safety, our international economy, and national defence. We must follow regulations that span traffic by air, land, and sea, the protection of our surrounding environment, and the latest construction and safety protocols.
How much environmental pollution will be generated from each launch at Canada's new spaceport?
One launch of the Falcon 9 from SpaceX (a larger vehicle than what we’ll be using in Nova Scotia) creates the same amount of emissions as a single Boeing 747’s transatlantic flight. We will only conduct approximately 8 launches per year by our fifth year of operation.
What kind of jobs will the spaceport attract to Nova Scotia?
The spaceport will become a space economy hub, giving young Canadians in STEM fields an incredible opportunity to develop expertise at home. But we’ll need more than only scientists or engineers. To operate the launch facility year-round, we’ll need around fifty (50) full-time employees spanning skilled trades, scientists, engineers, security, and fire services. For every launch, another 100 workers will join us on-site. This could be a mix of visiting scientists and mission experts, technicians, ground support crews, or clientele.
What’s the economic forecast of the spaceport?
The world commercial space sector is expected to reach $1T by 2040. Nova Scotia’s spaceport will not only be a Canadian first, but will represent a rare and highly sought-after global site. In addition to full-time jobs at the spaceport, we anticipate many indirect opportunities created in aerospace, industrial services, and lodging and services, and a major boost to tourism. Our projected eight launches per year will attract workers and visitors to the local region for three to five days before and after each launch.
What kinds of companies launch satellites? Who are your customers?
From climate change and illegal deforestation to agriculture and urbanization, the satellites we launch from Canso will bring 60 years of Canadian pioneering to bear on the world’s big challenges. We will serve companies collecting data on space exploration; inventing groundbreaking technologies; or bringing communications to remote markets and communities.
From our platform to their place in space, the satellites we launch will track emissions and climate change, improve global communication, logistics and navigation, and watch for forest fires, monitor crops and soil changes, or the migrations of wildlife.
Is it dangerous to launch satellites?
Launching satellites is an intense experience. Part of the reason our site in Nova Scotia is so ideal is its distance from surrounding populations, and its proximity to the open ocean. Our site selection process was vigorous, and our choice of location was reviewed in great depth by federal regulators at Transport Canada, Defence, Environment, and many more.
Is the spaceport consulting with the Indigenous community?
We’ve hosted several open houses in local communities in the past few years as our project has gotten underway, with inclusive engagement a top priority. Currently, we’re in ongoing discussions with Paqnkek Mi’kmaw Nation on economic development opportunities, the Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn Negotiation Office (KMNKO) on a benefits agreement, and with Paqtnkek directly as the nearest community to the site.