--- title: "Private Startups Are Rapidly Advancing Canadian Rockets" url: https://daily.dev/posts/private-startups-are-rapidly-advancing-canadian-rockets-hqqtefkbu source_url: https://spectrum.ieee.org/canadian-rockets type: article source: "IEEE Spectrum" published: 2026-08-20T12:02:59.236Z updated: 2026-08-20T12:03:19.379Z tags: ["spacex"] reading_time: 7 upvotes: 0 comments: 0 language: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Private Startups Are Rapidly Advancing Canadian Rockets **[IEEE Spectrum](https://daily.dev/sources/ieeespectrum)** · 7 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary Canadian rocket startups Canada Rocket Company, NordSpace, and Reaction Dynamics are racing to build sovereign launch capability, backed by CAD $305 million in government funding, including CAD $8.3 million each from the Department of National Defence's Launch the North program. The push is driven by geopolitical tensions with the U.S., the militarization of space, and surging LEO satellite demand as SpaceX plans to stop booking Falcon 9 launches past 2028. Canada Rocket Company shifted from a light-lift R-1 to a medium-lift R-2 rocket carrying seven E-1 methalox engines, targeting 12,000-15,000 kg to LEO to serve Telesat's constellation needs. Two spaceports are in development in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, with orbital launch attempts targeted for 2027-2028 and NordSpace's first suborbital test having failed in August 2025. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [Rocket Report: Canada invests in sovereign launch; India flexes rocket muscles](https://daily.dev/posts/rocket-report-canada-invests-in-sovereign-launch-india-flexes-rocket-muscles-pk5van9xd) · Ars Technica · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Rocket Report: Chinese launch firm raises big money; Falcon 9 back to the Bahamas](https://daily.dev/posts/rocket-report-chinese-launch-firm-raises-big-money-falcon-9-back-to-the-bahamas-vexmirgm5) · Ars Technica · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Which countries are actually serious about developing their own rockets?](https://daily.dev/posts/which-countries-are-actually-serious-about-developing-their-own-rockets--pwrrthwto) · Ars Technica · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#spacex](https://daily.dev/tags/spacex) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/private-startups-are-rapidly-advancing-canadian-rockets-hqqtefkbu)