Why it matters: The agreement moves Spaceport Nova Scotia and Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket from planning into active construction, marking a concrete step toward Canada's first commercial orbital launch.

Driving the news: Maritime Launch Services and Isar Aerospace have finalized the statement of work and programmatic milestones required under their facilities usage agreement for Spaceport Nova Scotia. The finalized terms satisfy a key condition of that agreement and clear the way for construction of Isar Aerospace's dedicated launch complex for its Spectrum vehicle.

"Finalizing the statement of work and programmatic milestones moves us directly into execution," said Stephen Matier, president and CEO of Maritime Launch Services. "With the next phase of construction underway on site, our teams are focused on advancing the infrastructure and operational readiness required to bring Spectrum launches to Nova Scotia."

The details: The two companies first announced their facilities usage agreement on July 7, 2026. This latest milestone does not change the key terms of that agreement. It follows the successful second qualification flight of Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket, Mission "Onward and Upward," which delivered all its payloads to orbit. Both companies say they are targeting first orbital launches from Nova Scotia in 2028.

What they're saying: "Access to space is critical infrastructure for any sovereign nation," said Alexandre Dalloneau, vice president mission and launch operations at Isar Aerospace. "With the successful launch of Mission 'Onward and Upward,' we demonstrated our ability to deliver payloads to orbit. Together with Maritime Launch Services, we are now bringing that capability to Canada. Finalizing this work gives our teams the framework to move directly into execution of launch operations."

By the numbers:

The bigger picture: Spaceport Nova Scotia is positioned as Canada's first commercial orbital launch complex, built to place small and medium satellites into low Earth orbit and support both civil and defence missions. It is one of two active Atlantic Canada launch efforts, alongside NordSpace's Atlantic Spaceport Complex in Newfoundland and Labrador, as the region works to establish domestic launch capacity for a growing global commercial space market.

Background: Isar Aerospace develops, manufactures and tests its launch vehicles largely in-house, with private international backing for what it describes as a vertically integrated approach to scaling rocket production. Maritime Launch is a Canadian-owned commercial space company developing the Nova Scotia spaceport to serve domestic and international clients across a range of orbital inclinations.

What's next: With the statement of work finalized, both companies move into execution on Isar Aerospace's dedicated launch complex, with construction on site continuing as they work toward the 2028 target.