Maritime Launch Services and South Korea’s Innospace have signed a non-binding letter of intent to explore hosting Innospace’s Hanbit launch vehicles at Spaceport Nova Scotia.

The agreement establishes a framework for the Halifax-based launch-services company and the South Korean satellite-launch provider to assess the technical, regulatory and commercial feasibility of operating Hanbit launchers from the proposed commercial orbital launch facility in Nova Scotia.

Maritime Launch is developing Spaceport Nova Scotia, Canada’s first commercial orbital-launch complex, designed to support civil and defence-related missions and place satellites into low Earth orbit. The spaceport is intended to accommodate multiple launch providers and a range of orbital inclinations from a single Atlantic coast location.

Innospace, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Sejong, South Korea, manufactures small satellite-launch vehicles and provides orbital-launch services. The company’s Hanbit family of launchers uses hybrid rocket propulsion and is designed to deliver small satellites to orbit through responsive, lower-cost launch services aimed at the rapidly expanding global small-satellite market.

The potential partnership would see Innospace add North America to a growing network of launch sites that already includes locations in Brazil, Australia and Portugal.

“Spaceport Nova Scotia is being developed as a full-service, dual-use responsive spaceport, providing licensed site launch infrastructure, range coordination, safety oversight, and scalable multi-pad capability,” said Stephen Matier, president and CEO of Maritime Launch. “This letter of intent reflects growing international demand and global interest in Nova Scotia as an emerging orbital-launch location. We look forward to working with Innospace to evaluate how our strategic position on the Eastern Atlantic rim of North America can support their launch program while advancing reliable, repeatable access to orbit and strengthening Canada’s commercial launch capability.”

“North America represents a key market where global small satellite-launch demand is concentrated,” said Soojong Kim, CEO of Innospace. “Following launch-site agreements in Brazil, Australia, and Europe, expanding our launch footprint into North America marks an important foundation for Innospace’s next phase of growth as a global commercial launch-service provider.

“Through our collaboration with Maritime Launch, we aim to gradually establish Hanbit’s operational base in North America and continue strengthening our commercial launch competitiveness by delivering stable and efficient launch services demanded by global customers. With Hanbit’s North American operational base, we hope to prioritize commercial launch services for Canadian government-developed satellites and private-sector customers.”

The companies said the LOI, which is effective through Dec. 31 unless replaced by a definitive agreement, does not create binding financial obligations for either party but sets the stage for further discussions as both companies evaluate the opportunity. 🚀

Pictured: Innospace’s Hanbit-Nano launch vehicle.

Photo: CNW Group/Maritime Launch Services