Spaceport in Canso gets green light for construction

Construction onCanada's first spaceport for rocket launchescan now go ahead in Canso, N.S.,theprovincial government announced this week.

Spaceport Nova Scotia will be used to launch satellitesinto the Earth'sorbit for imaging, communications and experiments, says the company behind the project, Nova Scotia-based Maritime Launch Services.

Once complete, the spaceportwill include alaunch pad and control centre near the small town traditionally reliant on commercial fishing.

CEO Stephen Matiersaid the spaceport will allow Canada to capture a share of an increasingly importantaerospace industry.

"Having this launch site come online is significant in a global market sense, but it's also really significant for Canada at large simply becausethey've been building satellites [here, but] always launching them somewhere else," Matier said.

A 2020 report fromtheCanadian Space Agency's economic analysis team saysthe space sector contributed $2.5 billionto Canada's GDP and supported a total of 22,879 jobs in 2019.

The project can go ahead because it has metthe necessary environmental assessment terms and conditions, saidDepartment of Environment and Climate Changespokesperson Tracy Barron in an emailed statement.

"As the regulator, the department will continue to hold the company to our environmental standards to ensure the environment remains protected," she said.

'Tragic day'

The spaceport has been the target of opposition over the last few years from experts fearing contamination from the toxic fuels used by rockets and community members who oppose iton environmental grounds.

Marie Lumsden, who is with the group Action Against Canso Spaceport, said it was a "tragic day" when the approval was granted.

"Right now we are living in fear, and we've lived in fear for the last threeyears because no level of government, neither municipal, provincialor federal is protecting us in any way or is taking care of our rights or the rights of the environment."

Lumsden, whose house is about three kilometres from the launch pad, said residents have a wide variety of concerns about the project, including launch accidents, chemical spills, firesand the impact on fisheries, migratory birds and the environment.

She believes the project should have been subjected to a federal rather than provincial environmental assessment, which she views as less stringent.

Lumsden said the spaceport has been a divisive issue in the community, affecting relationships between people who support the project and those who don't.

"Our peace is being destroyed by this and it's destroying our community because people aren't talking to one another,they're angry with one another. Some of them I can't even look at them, I'm so upset."

Environmental assessment approved in 2019

In an emailed statement, Maritime Launch spokesperson Sarah McLeansaid the company has assembled a team of industry experts in environmental monitoring and stewardship, spaceport operations, and construction management to address environmental concerns.

Maritime Launch receivedapproval for its environmental assessment in June 2019, which outlined conditions forconstruction and operation of the facility. Itincludesrequirements for ventilation,alarms,temperature and spill monitoring systems and storage specifications for all products, includingnitrogen and liquid oxygen.

"Our safety analysis was reviewed and accepted by Transport Canada's safety division," becausespace launches from Canada areregulated through the federal agency, McLean wrote.

Earlier this month, the company said it inked a Crown land lease with the province to develop and operate the facility. The lease hasa 20-year term with an option to renew for another 20 years. Itcovers just over135 hectares of Crown land near Canso, Little Dover, N.S., and Hazel Hill, N.S.

Barry Carroll, the chief administrative officer of the Municipality of the District of Guysborough, said the community is "fully supportive" of the upcoming spaceport.

"We expect it is going to bring huge benefits to the municipality and provinceover the long term," he said, including jobs, and attracting more people and businessesto the area.

There are discussions of a dedicated local fire department that would service the spaceport and surrounding ruralareas,he added.

Carroll also expects it will draw tourists and couldbe used to educatethe community about the aerospace industry. Plans are in place for tours of some parts of the facility, aswell as a launch-viewing area.

Matier said the company will begin actual construction next year with agoal of launching its first commercial payload bythe end of 2024. Afterward,they plan toslowly ramp upto an average of eight launches a year.