Canadian aerospace is set to take a bold step into the hypersonic future with the announcement by Maritime Launch Services (MLS) that highlights a collaboration with Netherland’s-based aerospace firm T-Minus Engineering B.V. to conduct the first North American launch of the Barracuda—a hypersonic suborbital test platform—from Spaceport Nova Scotia in October 2025.A platform for high-speed innovationThe mission, which will see two suborbital Barracuda rockets launched from Nova Scotia’s growing Spaceport infrastructure, represents a major milestone within Canadian aerospace, and the development of a domestic, sovereign space launch capability that poses direct implications for civil, commercial and defence applications.The Barracuda rockets – 4-metre-long, single-stage, solid-fuel system rockets with payload capacities of 40 kg – will be assembled using a mobile launch vehicle integration building and launched from a custom-built mobile platform on the Spaceport’s suborbital pad—a flexible approach that enables rapid deployment and adaptation to future missions.Research and testingDesigned for high-altitude, high-speed testing in extreme environments, the Barracuda’s modular design allows for tailored payload integration, making it ideal for rapid research and development concerning aerospace materials, radar tracking and ionospheric science.The collaborative team plans to leverage the rocket’s unique characteristics by equipping each vehicle with varying experimental payloads to carry into the upper atmosphere, reaching altitudes of up to 120 km—well past the Kármán line, which is the internationally recognized boundary of space—while achieving speeds exceeding Mach 6. (ICE TORONTO)

Fonte notizia: https://www.design-engineering.com/