It is rocket science: New details revealed about proposed space port in Nova Scotia

A company with plans to launch rockets from Nova Scotia has applied to lease 15hectares of provincially owned land outside Canso,according to documents obtained by CBC News.

Maritime Launch Services hopes to build a 10- to 15-metre-tall control centre and rocket assembly area.

Approximately 2.6 kilometres away, it plans to build alaunchpad. Between the two sites, the companysaidit intends toconstructa custom rail system totransport and positionthe rocket for liftoff.

The details are outlined in the company's land lease application, submitted late last year to the provincial Department of Natural Resources.

Boats, barges, trucks and trains

The 272-tonne rockets will be constructed in Ukraine.

They "will be prepared for shipment in Ukraine, loaded aboard a RoRo (Roll-On, Roll-Off) vessel and carried across the North Atlantic for delivery to the Port of Mulgraveand then barged to the Port of Cansoas regulated by Transport Canada marine security requirement," according to documents submitted to the province.

The rockets would be in at least three segments when they arrive in Canso on the northeastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia.

Each piece wouldbe trucked to the assembly site and then placed on"a specialized transporter/erector that delivers the launch vehicle to the launch pad via a rail system."

The smell of rocket fuel in the morning

The documents said most of the launches wouldoccur between 7a.m. and noon, the company's documents said.At least two weeksnotice wouldbe given to regulators and the public prior to each launch.

Each launch trajectory would be southward.

If a failure occurs in the first stage of the launch, the company saidthereis a 99.7 per cent chance debris wouldland in the ocean.

"In terms of impact, for a normal trajectory, there would be no overflight of populated areas," the documents said.

Skyrocketing demand

The main purpose of the proposed launch site wouldbe to deliver medium-sized satellites into orbita service that is in high demand, the company said.

"This is especially true for internet-related developments and more precise information (agronomic, economic, meterological, hydrological, etc.)," the documents said.

The type of orbits available to satellites launched from Nova Scotia are conduciveto takinghigh-resolution images of the planet's surfaceor performing climatic measurements.

Not ready for liftoff yet

In addition to the 18-month construction process, Maritime Launch Servicesis still seeking a number of regulatory approvals.

It will need an environmental assessment, as well asapproval from the Department of Natural Resources, Transport Canada and other governmental bodies.

If the company does not hit substantial setbacks, it hopes to launch its first rocket infall 2019. By 2022, the company plans to launch up to eight rockets annually.