"Where #AI does belong, and where it already delivers real value, is in what I would call the 'middle layer' of production," writes @ProtocaseInc's Doug Milburn. "This is the layer between design intent and physical execution." @SME_MFG #manufacturing advancedmanufacturing.org/ma…

Today marks the most significant milestone in NordSpace's history. We have been awarded $8.3 million in Phase 1 grant funding and selected as a winner of Canada’s Department of National Defence's Launch the North IDEaS challenge, toward the development of our Tundra orbital launch vehicle. Launch the North represents Canada’s most significant investment in sovereign space launch. As a part of the government’s $182.6 million investment in sovereign space launch, DND and CAF aim to secure Canada's strategic autonomy in space, reduce dependence on foreign launch providers, and position Canada as a global leader in commercial and defence-oriented space launch. Canada's moment has arrived. What distinguishes NordSpace is the depth of its vertical integration. We design and manufacture our own engines and vehicles, develop and operate our own spaceport, build and fly our own satellites, and invest in the broader Canadian space ecosystem. This end-to-end architecture stands unique in Canada, inspired by industry leaders such as SpaceX and Rocket Lab, and constitutes the foundational infrastructure upon which a durable, truly sovereign Canadian space industry can be built. At the centre of our architecture is Tundra, powered by our in-house designed and manufactured 3D printed Hadfield engines and capable of delivering 500 kg to LEO and 350 kg to SSO. In its Tundra configuration, this grows to 1,100 kg to LEO and 850 kg to SSO, with a direct scaling path to our Titan medium-lift vehicle targeting 5,000 kg to LEO. A proven modular 3D printed engine architecture reduces development time and risk while ensuring Canada's sovereign launch capability grows in step with national defence, commercial, and allied demand over the coming decade. Our Atlantic Spaceport Complex (ASX) in Newfoundland and Labrador is the only purpose-built commercial orbital launch facility in Canada and one of the most strategically advantaged launch sites in the western hemisphere. The ASX supports launch inclinations of 44 to 105 degrees over the Atlantic Ocean, the widest range available from any Canadian site. It also offers the largest safety distances of any spaceport in Canada and highest approved launch cadence, lending to our medium-lift future. The ASX received its landmark environmental approval from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and is already under rapid construction with its first launch planned this spring of our Taiga rocket. This award will ultimately lead to the creation of 134 direct jobs by 2028, growing to 650 by 2032, with 1,600 indirect and induced jobs across Canada's industrial base as we scale to medium-lift. We rely on a wide ecosystem of Canadian partners including @magellanaero, @KongsbergGeo, C-CORE, and Indigenous-led suppliers across the country. @NationalDefence @CanadianForces @DavidMcGuinty