Kutryk Reaches ISS; NordSpace Launches First Canadian Satellite

By Robo Chris 0 Comment

Kutryk Reaches ISS; NordSpace Launches First Canadian Satellite

Canada From Orbit

Kutryk Reaches ISS as CSA Joins Artemis Accords Principals’ Meeting

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Colonel Joshua Kutryk launched to the International Space Station on October 1 at 11:10 a.m. EDT aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of NASA’s Crew-13 mission, joined by NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. This marked the first time a Canadian has flown under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and the fourth long-duration ISS assignment for a CSA astronaut. Kutryk will spend approximately six months aboard the orbiting laboratory supporting operations, maintenance, and outreach activities.

Kutryk Reaches ISS; NordSpace Launches First Canadian Satellite

Crew-13’s Dragon spacecraft docked with the Station at 7:05 p.m. EDT the same day, setting a new record for the fastest launch-to-docking time by a SpaceX vehicle at 7 hours and 55 minutes. After completing pressure equalization, leak checks, and hatch-opening procedures, Kutryk and his crewmates joined Expedition 75 crewmembers already on board. He will conduct Canadian science experiments focused on astronaut health and adaptation to the space environment, gathering data that will help advance future long-duration missions to the Moon and improve life on Earth.

At the International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026) on October 6, the CSA participated in the Artemis Accords Principals’ meeting, reaffirming Canada’s commitment to sustainable and responsible space exploration. Canada has been a founding member of the Artemis Accords alongside ESA and CNES, contributing to an international framework designed to advance space activities with shared principles of transparency, safety, and peaceful exploration.

Image shared by @csa_asc | Source: @csa_asc

Canada’s Commercial Space Sector Accelerates: Orbital Success and New Partnerships

Terra Nova Satellite Enters Orbit; NordSpace Becomes First Canadian Launch Company in Space

On October 5, NordSpace announced that its Terra Nova satellite had successfully completed its Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) and entered nominal operations in orbit. With this milestone, NordSpace became the first Canadian launch company with hardware operating in space—a significant achievement that retires substantial technical and business risks as the company advances toward its first orbital launch of the Taiga rocket.

NordSpace – Views from Mission Control at Rocket Factory 1 (RF-1) after Terra Nova Satellite Enters Earth Orbit NordSpace – Terra Nova Satellite LEOP In-Progress NordSpace – Terra Nova Satellite… | Source: EIN Presswire

Terra Nova will conduct predictive threat monitoring operations over Canadian soil, focusing on wildfire detection and Arctic surveillance. The operational lessons and data gathered from the mission will inform NordSpace’s upcoming constellation and hosted-payload programmes, all designed as demand generators for launches aboard the Tundra orbital rocket, scheduled to operate from the company’s Atlantic Spaceport Complex in Newfoundland and Labrador.

NordSpace – Views from Mission Control at Rocket Factory 1 (RF-1) after Terra Nova Satellite Enters Earth Orbit NordSpace – Terra Nova Satellite LEOP In-Progress NordSpace – Terra Nova Satellite… | Source: EIN Presswire

Isar Aerospace Partnership Advances; Spaceport Nova Scotia On Track for 2028 First Launch

Maritime Launch Services and Isar Aerospace finalized their statement of work and programmatic milestones on September 14, advancing plans for Isar’s dedicated Spectrum launch complex at Spaceport Nova Scotia. The completion of this work satisfies a key condition of the facilities usage agreement and positions both companies for execution-phase operations with a target of first orbital launches from Nova Scotia in 2028.

In mid-September, Maritime Launch showcased Spaceport Nova Scotia at the inaugural Canada Investment Summit in Toronto, highlighting the project’s dual-use civil and defence capabilities and its role as a platform connecting Canada to the global space economy. The spaceport now operates under a $200 million, 10-year agreement with Canada’s Department of National Defence supporting sovereign launch capability, and the 10-year facilities agreement with Isar Aerospace under NATO’s STARLIFT initiative.

Building Guidance Systems for Canada’s Aurora Launch Vehicle

Reaction Dynamics profiled Mario Araujo, a member of the company’s Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) team, who has progressed from an RDX intern in 2022 to a key contributor in vehicle flight control design. Araujo’s background spans CubeSat control systems and launch-vehicle simulation, exemplifying the depth of Canadian engineering talent now focused on developing Aurora, Reaction Dynamics’ hybrid-propulsion launch vehicle, toward first flight.

CRC Targets December Hot-Fire Test for R-2 Engine Components

Canada Rocket Company is preparing hot-fire testing of engine components for its R-2 medium-lift rocket, with the first test—a gas-generator hot-fire—planned for December 2026 at the company’s test facility. This marks the beginning of a core development cycle that will extend to 2028, when a fully assembled engine with turbopump will be ready for hot-fire testing, positioning CRC for a first orbital launch attempt in 2032.

CRC received $8.3 million in government funding as part of the federal effort to establish domestic launch capability. The company has raised $22 million to date and aims to secure $650 million in the coming years to support development through first flight. The R-2 will feature nine methalox engines (liquid methane and liquid oxygen) and an aluminum-lithium airframe, with a design capable of lifting up to 15,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit.

Citations

No launches this week.

Enjoying the content? Stay up to date on everything happening behind the scenes by following our Patreon!

Support The Canadian Space on Patreon

Robo Chris
https://thecanadian.space/meet-robo-chris/

Robo Chris is a collection of API calls, filters, and searches, bolted together with magic and love. He performs instructed information gathering on Canadian aerospace news ,daily broadcasts, weekly NASA and SpaceX reports, and monthly deep-dives on Rocket Lab, Blue Origin, the Canadian space industry, and the broader commercial spaceflight sector AND does a fair bit of writing too. Everything he creates gets submitted to editor-in-chief actual Chris for fact-checking, approval, and publication.

Leave a Reply