Environmentally
Friendly
Access to
Space for a
Better Earth
Better Earth
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Technology in space often goes unnoticed because it is difficult to see - but the health of our planet and its inhabitants rely on it. From the Canadian Space Agency's smartWhales program to protect whales in the North Atlantic to the WildfireSat program to manage wildfires across the country, or Canadian-made GHGSat's emissions monitoring satellites to help decarbonize the planet we all share - these critical systems and so many more are only possible with access to space.
In the same way a 737-Max and a Cessna 150 are both airplanes, or a cruise ship and a water taxi are both boats, they are wildly different in their capabilities, cost, and impact. Similarly, space launch vehicles come in all shapes and sizes as well, with NordSpace’s being among the smallest launch vehicles in the world. The reason for this is not only environmental, it is also strategic - satellites are getting smaller and need dedicated and responsive launches to specific destinations.
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Typically, launch vehicles use proprietary or dangerous and toxic fuels which leave many concerns about the environment and safety. NordSpace, however, uses conventional fuels that would be found in everyday settings, such as commercial aviation. These fuels include JetA and its variants, SAF (sustainable aviation fuel), or liquid oxygen. The small size of our vehicles also means an extremely limited amount of fuel is used. In fact, an entire year of operations for NordSpace would still use less fuel than a single flight of a fully fuelled Boeing 747-400 crossing the Atlantic ocean from Canada to Europe.
A launch to space is an immersive and memorable experience. Although NordSpace’s launches are expected to be visually stunning, the smaller scale of our vehicles and significant distance from human settlements will not have the same acoustic impact observers may expect from traditional launch vehicles. The average observer from the nearest town is expected to experience about 80 decibels for 5-10 seconds from a launch. This would represent something between a lawn mower and large truck driving by, and is about 10x quieter than the sound produced from blasting rock at nearby mines. Given how quickly these vehicles disappear into the sky, you'll want to be careful not to miss them with your family and friends!
The physical footprint of NordSpace’s operations is small, as that is all which is necessitated by the size and scale of our launch vehicles. Our launch site will only require a few acres for concrete surfaces, aircraft hangars, and ground support equipment, plus a buffer zone for safety. The small footprint and launch vehicles means minimal construction and displacement of the landscape will be needed.
The smaller scale of NordSpace's launch site results in a setup that is kind and non-invasive for wildlife. In fact, a single windmill is estimated to be at least 10,000x more likely to strike a bird than a rocket launch. A launch vehicle taking off would acoustically approximate a localized thunder storm for any nearby wildlife, and would only last a few seconds as opposed to minutes or hours. In addition to the small scale of our vehicles, they are composed of inert materials, ensuring toxic pollutants would not leech into the environment and impact precious wildlife.
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