Canadian innovations have been part of space exploration for over 40 years.
Our national journey to the stars began with the launch of Alouette, the first Canadian designed and built satellite, in 1962. Over the years, Canada has made strides in space research and development, including the Canadarm robotic arms used on the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station, and soon, NASA’s Artemis mission that will bring humanity back to the moon.
But while Canada has continually played a significant role in global space exploration, we have relied on other nations to get our innovations off the ground.
NordSpace founder Rahul Goel is on a mission to change this. The Markham-based aerospace company is developing the first made-in-Canada orbital launch system. NordSpace’s Tundra launcher and Hadfield, Garneau and Bondar series of engines will provide domestic payload launch capability for the first time in Canadian history.
Born and raised in Toronto, Goel says his passion for engineering and space began at an early age.
“I was always engaged in like things like LEGO robotics and eventually real robotics. Then, in university, I got into drones, satellites, and rockets. It was then that I became very passionate about seeing Canada do better as a country, not just in aerospace but in all sectors,” he says.
Calling Goel a serial entrepreneur would be an understatement. He is currently leading NordSpace and his two other startups—Genepika, an in-vitro diagnostics startup, and PheedLoop, an all-in-one event management platform.
“I constantly find myself in these positions where I see a challenge, and I want to bring people together, a workforce of engineers to help make a solution happen,” Goel says.
Access to space was one of these challenges.
“Canada has done a lot, but we've never opened access to space, and we're behind countries at this point. We’re behind New Zealand, Australia, France, UK, Sweden, Norway, and Scotland, so I want to solve this problem,” he says.
Rocket science is challenging. Not only because it is literally “rocket science” but also due to the export restrictions on rocket technology. Canadian companies cannot import rocket engines from other nations, so NordSpace has to develop its entire solution from the ground up.
“It doesn't matter that rockets have been being built for the last 100 years. We have to start from scratch, using publicly available information and the fundamental science behind rockets,” Goel says.
With demand for payload capacity surging, the NordSpace team have worked fast, progressing from a napkin sketch to a flight-ready version of its Hadfield engine named after Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. The company has also completed a test fire of its Tundra launch vehicle and will perform its first test flight later this summer.
Having a launch vehicle is only part of the NordSpace solution. The company is building Canada’s first domestic space port in Newfoundland.
“That's going to be historic for Canada. It’s been two and a half years of development. It’s been unreal,” he says.
Building NordSpace in Markham was an easy choice for Goel. His other two startups are also located here—and for good reason.
“Canada produces top-tier aerospace talent, and our location makes that very easy to access. Being in Markham is incredible because we are close to so many advanced educational institutions and facilities. It's truly remarkable. There aren't a lot of companies doing what we're doing with the same level of energy and mission, so we have an endless number of talented applicants. We’re very humbled by it.”
Visit www.nordspace.com to learn more about their work and missions.
