Latest updates:

NordSpace says it will be at least 75 minutes until the launch, around 4:50 p.m. NT at the earliest. Launch window closes at 7 p.m. NT. Winds are “great,” but fog has rolled in, company says. Final checks to be made before launch.

The launch of Canada’s first-ever commercial rocket has been delayed to Friday afternoon.

It’s a test of NordSpace’s single-engine rocket, called Taiga — a six-metre tall rocket created using 3D-printed metal. The launch was originally scheduled for Monday, was hampered by the weather.

The launch was delayed again on Friday morning due to an issue with one of the final steps: a quick disconnect from the nitrogen tank, according to the company. NordSpace said the rocket entered safe mode around that time when a generator tripped and stopped supplying compressed air.

Another attempt will be made during a launch window at 3 p.m. NT.

NordSpace CEO Rahul Goel says the issue is a quick fix, and he’s optimistic the second attempt will go well.

When the launch does finally happen, it will be suborbital, meaning the rocket won’t orbit Earth, and will only be in the air for about a minute before it splashes into the Atlantic Ocean.

Excitement in the air

Col. Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station, has been closely watching the launch countdown all day.

In an interview with CBC Radio’s On The Go, he said every launch he’s been involved in has experienced delays, so he’s not surprised with this one. Hadfield said it’s all a part of getting things exactly right — especially for NordSpace’s first go.

The retired astronaut said he had the opportunity to offer advice to the relatively new aerospace company, and they ended up naming Taiga’s engine after him.

“That’s just a huge compliment,” he said. 

A man sitting in front of a shelf.Col. Chris Hadfield says NordSpace’s Taiga rocket launch is a step forward in Canada’s involvement in space. (CBC)

Hadfield said there’s almost one commercial rocket launched every day. For Canada to take one small step into that industry would mean the country gets closer to space sovereignty. 

“We need to be competitive,” he said. “We can’t just be counting on other people all the time.”

He added that it would create numerous opportunities for the country if NordSpace and other companies can eventually carry a payload into orbit.

Hadfield’s birthday happened to fall on Friday as well. Although he isn’t in Newfoundland to see the launch, he said, “if they’ll just light that candle, that would be the icing on the cake.”

St. Lawrence Mayor Kevin Pittman says the town office has been taking calls about the launch all week.

“There are people all over town finding the best spot,” Pittman said in an interview Friday morning.

The mayor added that he expects the spaceport will bring “tremendous” potential for tourism in the area.

NordSpace CEO Rahul Goel told CBC News his team is beyond excited for the launch.

A man wearing a safety vest and black hoodie. Both have the logo for NordSpace on them.NordSpace CEO Rahul Goel says the launch is the first step in unlocking space sovereignty for Canada. (Curtis Hicks/CBC)

“This is something that our whole team has been working so long for, investing so much in,” Goel said. “We want to deliver success.”

Speaking with CBC News in January, Goel said St. Lawrence serves as a top location for a commercial space launch because of its ideal position to achieve the right orbital inclinations for a rocket launch.

NordSpace was founded in 2022, and built the rocket entirely in Canada. Goel said he believes the country’s first commercial spaceport will greatly benefit the St. Lawrence area, while creating jobs and helping Canada toward space sovereignty.

“To show Canadians that we can do this, and especially [in] a place like rural Newfoundland, I think it’s just so special,” Goel said.

“Doing this in a commercial way is what’s really important about this, and this is going to be the first step to unlocking that for Canada.”

NordSpace is also planning another suborbital launch next year, with plans to send it’s larger Tundra rocket into orbit in 2027.

It will also be expanding its operations in St. Lawrence with a second launch pad and infrastructure developments in the coming years, Goel said.

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