Irene Galea and Pippa Norman, reporting for The Globe and Mail:
Ottawa is investing $200-million in a Canadian-owned spaceport to enable sovereign satellite launches and has selected three companies to receive funding from its launch grant program as part of its effort to boost Canada’s space and defence capabilities and encourage new investment in the industry.
Ottawa will lease a dedicated space launch pad at Spaceport Nova Scotia, the facility near Canso, N.S., being constructed by Halifax-based Maritime Launch Services.
The Department of National Defence will pay $20-million per year over 10 years, with 90 per cent of gross rental payments being spent in Canada to support the domestic space agency.
Meanwhile, three companies – Canada Rocket Company, Reaction Dynamics, and NordSpace – will each receive a $8.3-million non-repayable grant to develop space launch vehicles and technologies.