On Saturday morning, Canada is set to make history with the launch of its first commercial rocket from its own soil. The rocket will take off from the Atlantic Spaceport Complex, a newly constructed facility located on the southern edge of Newfoundland, near the small town of St. Lawrence, approximately 350 kilometers southwest of St. John’s.

The mission is led by Nordspace, a company based in Markham, Ontario. Founded three years ago by 33-year-old Rahul Goel, who is also pursuing a PhD at the University of Toronto, Nordspace aims to establish a Canadian presence in the space industry. Goel also runs two other companies, PheedLoop and Genepika.

The rocket, named Taiga, is a sub-orbital vehicle that draws its name from the coniferous forests found in high northern latitudes, including Newfoundland. The Taiga stands about five meters tall and has a diameter of 30 centimeters. It is powered by a 3D-printed liquid rocket engine called the Hadfield, named in honor of Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, a former commander of the International Space Station.

The inaugural launch has been playfully dubbed “Getting Screeched In,” referencing a local tradition where newcomers are made honorary Newfoundlanders by kissing a cod and taking a shot of local rum known as screech. In contrast, Taiga’s rocket fuel, a mixture of kerosene and liquid oxygen, is designed for a more powerful performance.

Nordspace emphasizes the importance of Canadian-designed and manufactured rockets. "We believe that it is critical for a Canadian launch capability to be supported by Canadian designed and manufactured rockets, launching from Canadian soil, by a 100% Canadian owned company," the company stated on its website. They invite the public to join them in this new venture for Canada.

The launch window is scheduled to open daily from 6:30 a.m. to noon and again from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. local time. Newfoundland operates 90 minutes ahead of Toronto and Montreal. If the launch does not occur on Saturday, additional windows will be available until the following Saturday, September 27.

This will not be Nordspace's first attempt at launching the Taiga. A previous attempt at the end of August was postponed due to the close approach of Hurricane Erin and a premature misfire detection that placed the rocket in a safe state just before liftoff. Following this, Nordspace had to secure a new launch license from Transport Canada.

"We are pleased to have arrived at this absolute final point which is difficult to test precisely, even with static fires, until the rocket is actually flown," the company noted in their announcement regarding the previous launch attempt. "We will be back very soon!"

The Taiga launch is just the beginning for Nordspace. If the sub-orbital flight, which will last about 60 seconds, is successful, the company plans to develop the Tundra rocket. The Tundra will be significantly larger, standing at about 22 meters tall and featuring two stages with multiple Hadfield engines. Nordspace aims to conduct the first flight of the Tundra as early as 2027.

The company believes that this historic launch will represent a significant advancement for Canadian sovereignty, prosperity, and security, as well as ensuring access to space. They are designing their technologies and infrastructure to scale for medium-lift, responsive, and reusable launch vehicles.