NordSpace experienced growing pains this week as their suborbital launch attempt was thwarted by a fuel issue.
At 6:30 a.m. Eastern the company posted an update to its website saying they had decided to postpone the launch and would announce a new launch date in the coming weeks.
Yesterday afternoon as NordSpace was going through its countdown procedures they experienced what they termed as “a minor pad fire.” The “pad anomaly” had “caused residual vaporized fuel.”
Today the company said they discovered the root cause which was “related to our propellant quality slightly differing between vehicle tests at our test facility in Ontario, compared to our first launch test in Newfoundland and Labrador at our spaceport. This led to a fuel-rich scenario.”
They stressed that “personnel, rocket and the launch pad are perfectly safe and secure, and our safety systems operated nominally.”
NordSpace has been aggressively pushing forward with its Atlantic Spaceport Complex construction in St. Lawrence, Newfoundland and Labrador.
That aggressive push means that not all the needed facilities are in place and NordSpace said as much today. “As our company’s manufacturing and testing facilities are located in Ontario, there’s no expedient way to make the necessary modification with the temporary infrastructure and suppliers we have in place at our launch site. Although all our major facilities and capabilities are located in Ontario, we are rapidly developing our permanent presence in Newfoundland and Labrador both in St. John’s and in St. Lawrence to better support Canada’s sovereign launch efforts.”
Exaggerating statement
The statement released by NordSpace today in part states, “We are proud to have come further than anyone ever has in Canada, with the first commercial Canadian-made rocket ready to launch from a Canadian spaceport.”
While NordSpace, like some other startups, can be prone to hype, this particular portion of their statement is not true and ignores the successes from Canada’s space history.
As the Canadian Space Agency lists in its Canadian space milestone webpage, “over 3,500 suborbital sounding rockets” have already launched in Canada from the Churchill Rocket Research Range in the past. This includes the reliable Black Brant suborbital rocket manufactured by Winnipeg based Magellan Aerospace through its acquisition of Bristol Aerospace in 1977. And the Black Brant still soars with four successful launches this year in the U.S.
Not the only player on the board
While it’s quite possible that NordSpace may be the first of a new crop of companies to launch a suborbital rocket in Canada, the ultimate goal is orbital launch, now framed as sovereign launch.
So who are the competitors?
Magellan isn’t competition. They seem satisfied for the moment to keep building their suborbital Black Brant rocket. Though you have to wonder how long that business line will survive as new rockets emerge.
NordSpace’s competition lies elsewhere.
And the primary competitor is Reaction Dynamics (RDX) based in the Montreal area. There are other competitors in the wings, and when ready will make then themselves known to the general public. But for now, RDX is the one to watch.
RDX isn’t as flashy, nor interested in as much media attention. When they speak publicly it’s usually because they’ve accomplished something. And while the’ve not attempted a suborbital launch yet, they have been methodically testing their rocket engines and innovative “green” rocket fuel.
Importantly, they are now attracting investors and have closed a $14M Series A round of financing, have received $10M in funding from the Quebec government, and also recently won the American startup competition Meet the Drapers because of their innovative shelf stable rocket fuel. That win is opening doors for them to U.S. defence market. To add to their recent good news, just over a week ago they were selected as one of 15 companies from 10 countries for Phase 2 of the NATO DIANA accelerator.
Of note, while NordSpace continues the early build of its private Atlantic Spaceport Complex, which still must pass an environmental review, RDX will eventually be launching from Spaceport Nova Scotia, which it recently took a stake in, and which has been under development for several years now in spurts. Notably, Spaceport Nova Scotia has already passed its environmental review. RDX will have its own launch pad at the complex. The spaceport is planning two suborbital launches next month from a European company.
Of course RDX has a head start on NordSpace. NordSpace was formed three years ago while RDX was formed in 2017.