NordSpace faced a setback in its attempt to launch the Taiga rocket, the first commercial rocket in Canada, from St. Lawrence, N.L. The company postponed the planned launch on Thursday after encountering challenges and will announce a new launch date in the near future.
This delay follows a series of unsuccessful launch attempts earlier in the week. On Tuesday, NordSpace made two launch attempts, with the first being called off due to a small boat near the launch area. The second attempt was halted just before liftoff when smoke and fire emerged near the rocket’s base.
Subsequently, a minor fire caused by an anomaly on the launch pad prevented a potential launch on Wednesday. NordSpace attributed the issue to a difference in propellant quality between its Ontario test facility and the N.L. spaceport.
Despite the setbacks, NordSpace assured that all systems on the rocket and ground were functioning properly and safety measures were effective. The company is working to resolve the technical issue before returning to the launch site.
NordSpace had also experienced a near-launch in late August, stopping 58 seconds before liftoff due to an ignition problem. The upcoming launch, when successful, will be suborbital, lasting approximately a minute before the rocket descends into the Atlantic Ocean.