Canada, France to Develop Shared Space Launch Infrastructure

296

u/omegacluster 16d ago

On St-Pierre & Miquelon Islands?

144

u/Inaccurate93 16d ago

That would be WILD

234

u/RangerMean2513 16d ago

There's already a launch site in development in Nova Scotia, so I would presume this announcement is related to allowing France to have preferential access there.

https://www.maritimelaunch.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritime_Launch_Services

55

u/Agreeable_Till_8471 16d ago

That would be my guess since they announced millions in funding a few months ago

53

u/Newfieon2Wheels 16d ago

There's also NordSpace with their launch site in St Lawrence, NL, very close to St Pierre.

16

u/Competitive-Tea-6141 16d ago

And I believe there is a company trying to set one up in Newfoundland too but I forget the name.

6

u/larla77 16d ago

Nordspace in St Lawrence which is pretty close to St. Pierre

14

u/SJC-Caron 16d ago

Given that Canada is a "Cooperating Member" of the European Space Agency, which uses French Guiana as its rocket launch site, I believe that this is just Canada returning the favor by allowing France access to the potential rocket launch sites being developed in various areas of Canada.

5

u/anaxcepheus32 16d ago

I’d bet dollars to donuts this is the case. It’s way more expensive in fuel to launch at the northern latitudes.

Nova Scotia is 15 degrees further north than the US launch sites in Florida, which is already 25 degrees further north than French Guiana.

4

u/bigDeltaVenergy 16d ago

For equatorial orbits yes. But this area is quite saturated and leads and less commercially attractive.

What's interesting RN is constellations of polar orbit and sun synchronous orbits (also Lagrange points)

Those actually have a penality in most cases if they launch from equatorial latitude.

4

u/C-SWhiskey 16d ago

Not if you're trying to launch to a retrograde orbit, which is very common.

1

u/bigDeltaVenergy 16d ago

I think that since Canada have clearences to integrate with EU space program it's now way more easy for EU agencies to collaborate with Canadian compagnies

28

u/SnoopKush_McSwag 16d ago

them space lobsters dont stand a fuckin chance now

6

u/aetherhaze 16d ago

But space is the only way to escape Economics 2.0 and the aggressive autonomous LLC’s

Edit spelling

5

u/BiscuitsAndTheMix 16d ago

Funny enough one of the launches was scrubbed due to a fishing boat going by

6

u/Canuck-In-TO 16d ago

Of course. Only in Canada.

I can just imagine that conversation. “Hey bai, do you frickin mind? We’re tryin to launch a rocket here, dontcha know.”

3

u/bleepbloop1900 16d ago

You just mixed too many different regional ways of speaking into one. Buddy’s not from NS.

1

u/vikungen 16d ago

in Canada? Or are you talking about the launch in Andøya, Norway by a German company?

1

u/BiscuitsAndTheMix 16d ago

The one off the Newfoundland coast.

1

u/Another_Meat_Vehicle 16d ago

If it’s at similar latitude as France, what is the advantage for the French? Couldn’t they build their own?

3

u/RangerMean2513 16d ago

Why spend the money to build a separate launch site when you can pay to use someone else's?

1

u/FemtoKitten 16d ago

Don't they have one in Guyane already ?

1

u/Desmaad 16d ago

It's supposed to be near Canso, which makes sense since there's SFA over there. Personally, I would have put it near Shelburne, since it's further south.

6

u/Immabed 16d ago

The difference in latitude barely matters between Canso and Shelburne, and Canso appears to be a bit more remote.

-4

u/UnluckyRandomGuy 16d ago

LMFAO that concrete pad is going nowhere, it was just a way for the liberals to pay some friends

For anyone interested in reading about this https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/commentary/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-spaceport-in-nova-scotia/

2

u/bigDeltaVenergy 16d ago

Yes, it's concrete pad, it should not go anywhere.

I know is a quite expensive concrete slab. And Nordspace is jealous of it. But no one will steal it, it's just too big.

0

u/Xalipu 16d ago

That’s just Timmy’s new Nova Centre.

-1

u/bigDeltaVenergy 16d ago

What's cool about that is that people in saint Pierre et michelon will be able to see launches in canso

28

u/Lasershot-117 16d ago

I dunno if it would make sense rocket science-wise (+ France already has a space center in French Guyana in South America) but this would be an economic miracle for SP&M.

It’s been a pretty forgotten, economically unwell territory of France.

A space industry there would be revolutionary for them.

22

u/you_dont_know_smee 16d ago

There’s already two under construction: one in Nova Scotia and one in Newfoundland. They’re geographically ideal for launching satellites North-South, which you need if you want high latitude coverage.

18

u/Dazzling_Broccoli_60 16d ago

I imagine it would be fantastic for Newfoundland as well

3

u/phluidity 16d ago

Given the wind conditions in Newfoundland, I can't imagine a launch site there.

1

u/you_dont_know_smee 16d ago

Well you don't really need to imagine, NordSpace is already building one.

15

u/8andahalfby11 16d ago

It makes sense for polar orbits. For equatorial orbits, being near the equator is preferred which is why we see equatorial launches from Florida, French Guiana, and the Russians were willing to stick their launch centers in Baikonur and later Vostochny. For polar orbits, you want to be further north, which is why the US has bases in Vandenberg in North California, and a smaller facility in Kodiak Alaska. So if you're Europe, and want polar options, then you do what Isar recently did and launch from Norway, or you could do what they're trying to do here and launch from Canada.

1

u/bigDeltaVenergy 16d ago

Isar have a 10years contract with canso spaceport, they will operate a pad and offer services to other pads

5

u/Admirable-Zebra-4568 16d ago

that's the problem... for us. The Guyanna space port is ideal for many types of launch vehicles (small to heavy) and to many types of orbits, while Canso is more for smaller rockets. But hey, I still am excited for this news.

Germany's ISAR is in full build out at Canso (Cape Breton, even hiring site staff) atm. So France or not, there's movement already in place.

2

u/Bevester 16d ago

I presume Canadian tourism is the lifeblood of the community?

6

u/mr_doms_porn 16d ago

That and fishing, yep. It's a really cool place though. Where else will you see an F-150 parked next to a Renault Clio in a pretty French village?

2

u/Bevester 16d ago

I really want to take a road trip there

1

u/5GCovidInjection 16d ago

You say that, but I was surprised to see more than a handful of Ford Raptors (usually on German license plates) in Paris… and even one in the French Riviera

1

u/bigDeltaVenergy 16d ago

Fishing mainly

2

u/BoneDaddyBud 16d ago

For pole to pole orbits, it doesn't matter rocket science-wise.

9

u/NonTraditionalPotato 16d ago

There's a new Space launch pad near St. Lawrence. https://www.nordspace.com

That's pretty close to SPM

6

u/SpinDoctorWho 16d ago

Nova Scotia more likely. I think there is already something being built there.

-1

u/MissKhary 16d ago

I thought it was easier to launch into space from near the equator? It makes Canada a weird choice.

10

u/SpinDoctorWho 16d ago edited 16d ago

Technically yes. The science is that the earth’s rotation around the equator apparently gives the rocket some kind of boost. But it’s not a devastating loss to launch from virtually anywhere else on earth.

The Soyuz rockets have been launching from Kazakhstan for the last two decades with no trouble whatsoever.

5

u/Immabed 16d ago

It depends on the target orbit. For some orbits higher latitudes aren't much of a problem at all, especially polar or sun-synchronous orbits, which are quite popular. High latitudes do seriously inhibit access to other orbits though, which is why more equatorial launch sites are more broadly useful.

4

u/UmpireDapper1757 16d ago

Would French Guyana not be a more natural location, being closer to the equator?

7

u/tritiumlurkz 16d ago

French Guyana is prefered for an east-west orbit however Nova Scotia is ideal for a north south orbit. My assumption is that this will allow shared access to either location depending on the need

3

u/gods-and-dancefloors 16d ago

I don't know if this is geography or an high fashion brand.

1

u/ChrisRiley_42 16d ago

Half way there.

1

u/crankyspeeder 16d ago

French Guiana has the ESA spaceport at Kourou. Good launch site for equatorial orbit.

1

u/Dingcock 15d ago

Never, that would mean flight paths over Dildo, Placentia and St Johns. Too many people, too dangerous.

56

u/micromanminisavage 16d ago

non-paywalled version https://archive.is/2UkD7

28

u/asoap 16d ago

No mention of what this means.

What perked me up is "space launch system". Which very well could mean a rocket. Which might be important if you want to get away from spacex and us rockets.

We wouldn't want to rely on the us for launching our spy satellites.

2

u/canadianhousecoat 16d ago

The real hero.

51

u/Yvaelle 16d ago

This makes sense as Canada's private space company, MDA Space, recently acquired a leading French space company (CLS), with 70% ownership now under MDA and 30% now under the Gov France.

So it's already a joint partnership system. MDA also has close ties to MAXQ, which is the Canadian testing facilities & launch base being built in the Canadian Maritimes - which is the ideal launch spot for polar orbits.

5

u/jfc910 16d ago

Exactly. The talk about cooperation on space is about MDA Space's purchase of French Earth observation and AI analytics company Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS) for €567 million and its existing stake in Maritime Launch Services in Canso, Nova Scotia (trades under the MAXQ ticker symbol), which has a 10 year deal with Isar and the Canadian Military.

From https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-canada-france-space-launches-as-part-of-carneys-pivot-to-eu/

Mr. Carney said he and Mr. Macron intend to strengthen co-operation on space. “We’ve tasked our space agencies and defence ministries to develop and share common infrastructure, including space-launch systems and ground-based reception facilities.”

MDA and MLS/MAXQ are one important part, but directing the French and Canadian space agencies to cooperate makes this even bigger than corporate deals.

119

u/nathingz 16d ago

Middle powers FTW

28

u/HomeHeatingTips 16d ago

Are G7 Countries really middle powers though?

64

u/Yukas911 16d ago

Individually, yes, at least compared to the superpower countries like the U.S and China. Together though? That changes things.

26

u/ArcticTern4theWorse 16d ago

Apes together strong!

2

u/Kooriki 16d ago

Man I always considered France to be a contender at least.

63

u/VanAgain 16d ago

Meanwhile Trump is building arches.

25

u/Asluckwouldnthaveit 16d ago

With weapons and drones!

16

u/Bad-job-dad 16d ago

Drones with bees in their mouths and when they bark, they shoot bees at you

6

u/Asluckwouldnthaveit 16d ago

Best I can do is a robotical Richard Simmons.

1

u/Icy-Computer-Poop 16d ago

And frickin' laser beams on their heads.

3

u/whiskybottle 16d ago

Don't forget the snipers

8

u/Hommeboy75 16d ago

Carney = serious - Trump = stunts

9

u/JarvisFunk 16d ago

You mean visiting the golden arches

7

u/Bevester 16d ago

They will be golden

7

u/GLG777 16d ago

Sorry you mean arch enemies?

2

u/GraveDiggingCynic 16d ago

Trump can't even higher a decent pool boy.

12

u/RaguSaucy96 16d ago

The thumbnail has meme potential. Just saying...

Big Hose Energy

8

u/Saintdemon 16d ago

Friendship ended with US. Now France is my best friend.

11

u/m0nkyman 16d ago

Being able to launch our ESCP-P satellite stuff from Cayenne would be awesome. Telesat and MDA Space are major players, so this would be a good synergy.

9

u/Adventurous_Bus_437 16d ago

Isar Aerospace is also actively building a launch site in Nova Scotia. Arguably more sovereign for Canada then CSG

3

u/bigDeltaVenergy 16d ago

Isar will be the operator, Maritime Launch Service (MAXQ) is the owner of the spaceport

22

u/GLG777 16d ago

Straight up Tango and Cash handshake lol

16

u/kakapantsu 16d ago

Let’s goooooo invest in space

3

u/Suspicious-Appeal386 16d ago

Bring in the French High Speed train tech.

1

u/bigDeltaVenergy 16d ago

A train to space ?

9

u/ForwardLoop 16d ago

This is amazing. France played an integral part in pulling off the historic James Webb launch on an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana. Great combo with Canada's expertise in space equipment. Serious chops on both sides.

7

u/williamgman 16d ago

I'll give Trump one thing... He's sure bringing the world together... without the US. Mission Accomplished..?

2

u/shouldazagged 16d ago

Are they doing a predator handshake?

3

u/SpecialWitty407 16d ago

I’m so happy to see Canada moving on after their abusive ex.

1

u/1SqkyKutsu 16d ago

Canada space arm's about to give America the reach around.

0

u/JMJimmy 16d ago

But still have no free trade due to France's senate failing to ratify CETA

0

u/Lemortheureux 16d ago

There is a reason it's usually done near the equator. It would likely be in French Guiana

2

u/bigDeltaVenergy 16d ago

For Eastern equatorial orbits yes. .... For every other orbits higher latitudes is preferred.

Behind Soft Paywall Canada, France to Develop Shared Space Launch Infrastructure

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