Private space launch company Innospace Inc. (462350) announced on the 4th that it has signed a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI) for North American launch cooperation with Maritime Launch Services (MLS), a space launch service company headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
This LOI marks the first step in establishing a strategic cooperation framework to jointly review the operation of Innospace's HANBIT launch vehicle from technical, regulatory, and commercial perspectives. Innospace stated, "This LOI provides a basic framework for future discussions and does not create any financial obligations for either party," adding that "the LOI is valid until December 31 of this year and will be superseded if a definitive agreement is reached."
MLS operates the Spaceport Nova Scotia, a commercial orbital space launch facility located in Canso, Nova Scotia, Canada. While Innospace has previously secured overseas launch sites in Brazil, Australia, and Portugal, this partnership represents an achievement in expanding its launch network to North America.
MLS also views this LOI as meaningful progress in positioning Spaceport Nova Scotia as a leading commercial launch hub in North America. The company plans to gradually build licensed infrastructure capable of accommodating multiple launch service providers and to offer reliable space access services to defense and commercial customers.
Stephen Matier, CEO of MLS, said, "Spaceport Nova Scotia is being developed as a dual-use commercial spaceport with licensed launch infrastructure, range coordination, safety management, and scalable multi-pad capabilities," adding that "we aim to provide sovereign and reliable space access capabilities for defense and commercial customers."
He continued, "This letter of intent reflects international demand and interest showing that Nova Scotia is emerging as a new orbital launch hub," and expressed hope to "strengthen Canada's commercial launch capabilities by supporting Innospace's launch program and expanding stable, repeatable orbital access capabilities based on our strategic location on the eastern Atlantic coast of North America."
Innospace CEO Kim Su-jong stated, "North America is a key market where global small satellite launch demand is concentrated. Following our launch site contracts in Brazil, Australia, and Europe, exploring North American launch site expansion represents an important foundation for our leap forward as a global commercial launch service company." He added, "Through cooperation with MLS, we will continue to strengthen our commercial launch service competitiveness by providing the stable and efficient launch services that global customers demand."
Kim further noted, "In particular, through our operational base for the HANBIT launch vehicle in North America, we hope to provide priority commercial launch services not only for Canadian government-developed satellites but also for private companies."