Plans to launch Canada’s first commercial rocket from St. Lawrence, N.L. will have to wait another day.
NordSpace looked ahead to its next window of opportunity, between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. NT, but announced on its livestream the launch attempt won’t be made on Tuesday.
NordSpace’s safety officer told CBC News there wasn’t enough time in the launch window to complete the entire launch process. The company is now looking ahead to Wednesday.
“We want to launch, we really do. But our safety systems worked really well again,” NordSpace CEO Rahul Goel told CBC News. “Our pad’s cleaned and ready, our rocket’s ready as well, and we’re looking forward to launching.”
The company made two attempts earlier in the day. The mission was a go for launch until about 30 seconds before the timer reached zero earlier on Tuesday morning. Smoke and fire became visible near the bottom of the rocket, forcing a pause on the mission.
Goel said the flames came from residual propellant on the launch pad, and that a fire in that manner isn’t uncommon on rocket launches.
Another attempt was paused due to a small boat that appeared in the ocean near the launch area.
Goel said a lot goes into making sure a rocket can launch successfully, and hurdles are expected as the three-year-old company works toward its first launch.
“It’s pretty much about what we were expecting. If it worked on the first try, I would have been absolutely surprised,” Goel said.
“We had our first boat situation today, that is like a rite of passage for rocket companies. And so is everything else. So, again, we’re super optimistic.”
The Taiga is a six-metre tall rocket created using 3D-printed metal.
NordSpace attempted several launches in late August, and was 58 seconds away from takeoff when an ignition issue occurred and the mission was scrubbed.
The launch — when it does happen — 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.
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.
