Isar Aerospace Signs $112.5 Million Deal to Launch Spectrum From Nova Scotia in 2028
German rocket builder Isar Aerospace has signed an agreement with Canada's Maritime Launch Services to develop a dedicated launch facility at Spaceport Nova Scotia. The first launch of an Isar Aerospace Spectrum rocket from the site is expected in 2028. The arrangement extends Isar's ambitions to build launch capability beyond Europe.
Announced on 7 July, the deal builds on a letter of intent signed in late May. It positions Spaceport Nova Scotia as a licensed launch site for Isar's small orbital vehicle, with Maritime Launch Services supplying the physical and operational infrastructure required for orbital missions from Canada.
Under the agreement, Maritime Launch Services will provide a launch pad, assembly, integration and testing facilities, a launch operations center, and a facility for payload integration. In return, Isar Aerospace will pay $3.75 million per quarter under a 10-year agreement, with a 30-month fee waiver period following the first year of the contract. This initial element of the deal amounts to $112.5 million. The deal also includes options for two five-year extensions and provisions for additional fees paid to Maritime Launch Services on a per-launch, cost-plus basis.
The agreement remains conditional. The two companies must still agree on a statement of work and programmatic milestones by 1 September 2026. The designated launch pad must then be handed over to Isar Aerospace by 1 November 2026, with additional infrastructure at the spaceport completed by 31 December 2027. Stephen Matier, President and CEO of Maritime Launch Services, said the combination of Spectrum with Spaceport Nova Scotia's licensed infrastructure is creating the conditions for reliable orbital launch services from Canada.
Isar Aerospace has yet to demonstrate the end-to-end launch capability it presents as central to its roadmap. The only flight of its Spectrum rocket to date ended shortly after liftoff, and a series of technical and range-related setbacks have delayed its second flight by approximately six months and counting. In its most recent update on 15 June, Isar Aerospace said it had abandoned its latest launch attempt after detecting off-nominal behavior in the vehicle's fluid systems and was analyzing data to identify the root cause. It has not provided a revised launch date since then.
Isar Aerospace describes the new launch site as a key element of its roadmap to bring full end-to-end launch capability to sovereign nations. Maritime Launch Services frames the agreement as establishing the conditions for reliable orbital launch services from Canada.
The near-term milestones are clear. The companies face a 1 September 2026 deadline to agree on a statement of work and programmatic milestones, followed by handover of the launch pad by 1 November 2026 and completion of additional spaceport infrastructure by 31 December 2027. A revised launch date for Spectrum's second flight has not yet been announced.