Representatives with Maritime Launch Services say expecting ground breaking for a proposed spaceport in Guysborough Co. in the spring was more optimistic than realistic.
Steve Matier, the company’s chief executive officer, says he’s hesitant to promise a new timeline because they’re working with other partners on the Canso project, but they’d hope to have shovels in the ground by late summer/early fall of 2018 if all goes well.
Matier tells The Hawk they’d be meeting “a real global demand” for putting satellites into space.
“Whether it’s near-earth imaging, whether it’s global broadband, once the satellites are up and launching, then global broadband in rural communities is not something you need to run a wire for,” he says. “It’s basically being broadcast down.”
Matier says jobs, tourism and other opportunities would all have positive results locally.
He says the estimated cost of the entire project is roughly $200 million.
“That includes the facility, the support equipment at the building, there’s some specialty equipment that goes with a spaceport,” he says. “Then (it’s) getting the first couple of rockets through final checkouts and delivered, and getting ready for launch.”
Matier says he hopes to provide documentation as part of regulatory processes to officials with the provincial government within two-to-three weeks.
He says the goal still remains of first launch in 2021, despite the delay in ground breaking.
Photo credit: Strum Consulting