Galaxia will develop and supply an Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS) to Maritime Launch Services, which is building Spaceport Nova Scotia. The two Atlantic Canadian companies announced their partnership at the DEFSEC Atlantic exhibition in Halifax on 7 October.
The AFSS would analyze launch vehicle sensor data onboard to determine whether the criteria for termination have been reached. According to the companies, this would support greater automation in launch safety and reduce dependence on conventional ground-based range safety processes.
Galaxia plans to combine redundant radiation-hardened controllers with deterministic real-time signal processing and multi-sensor data fusion to monitor vehicle health. The system is also to have its own independent, space-grade power supply.
Maritime Launch is financing the development program with backing from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP). Neither the contract value nor a delivery date was disclosed.
The federal government is responsible for authorizing launches. Companies must secure permission from the Minister of Transport before launching a rocket in Canada. Transport Canada assesses applications alongside up to 15 other federal departments. It requires launch sites to meet its requirements, although it does not license spaceports.
Galaxia provides space systems and services from Halifax. The Canadian space technology company says it develops satellite platforms and mission infrastructure for commercial, civil and defence customers, including through the company’s MissionOne program.
Lucas Rowlands, Galaxia’s vice-president of mission operations, said the AFSS would support delivery of “the resilient, sovereign systems Canada needs for the next era of space access”. Maritime Launch vice-president of spaceport operations Melissa Quinn said the company is developing launch capability for commercial, civil and defence customers.
Maritime Launch is building Spaceport Nova Scotia near Canso to support both civil and defence-related missions. It describes the dual-use site as Canada’s first commercial orbital launch complex, designed to accommodate small and medium launch vehicles.
National Defence announced a 10-year agreement worth $200 million in March to lease a dedicated launch pad at the spaceport. The pad would support National Defence, the Canadian Armed Forces and other federal users, while providing ad hoc access to allies and partners.
On 14 September, Maritime Launch and Isar Aerospace finalized a statement of work for a launch complex at the spaceport to accommodate Isar’s Spectrum rocket. They aim to begin orbital launches from Nova Scotia in 2028. Their July agreement sets 1 November 2026 for the designated pad’s handover to Isar and 31 December 2027 for completion of further spaceport infrastructure.
Space launch is one of the sovereign capabilities identified in the government’s Defence Industrial Strategy. Through Launch the North, Ottawa is providing $105 million in multi-year grants to establish an initial light-lift launch capability from Canadian soil by 2028.
The contest’s opening round conditionally approved grants of $8.3 million apiece for NordSpace, Canada Rocket Company and Reaction Dynamics. Canada also announced in March that it intends to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) STARLIFT initiative as a full member. STARLIFT seeks to develop a more responsive launch network across allied spaceports.
Related coverage: Read about the Isar Aerospace milestone in Spaceport Nova Scotia clears planning milestone for Spectrum launches. The Maritime Launch Services profile tracks the site’s status.