280: The View from the Launch Pad: Steve Matier on Building Canada's Spaceport

This week on Casual Space, Beth welcomes back a very special guest: Stephen Matier, President & CEO of Maritime Launch Services, to celebrate Canada's history-making commercial suborbital launch completed at the end of November. Fresh from the launch pad in Canso, Nova Scotia, Beth and Steve sit down to reflect on the extraordinary milestone for Canada's growing space sector and share the personal, behind-the-scenes stories that made the mission unforgettable. You can both listen AND watch this conversation on YouTube, where Beth shares exclusive launch-day footage, photos, and the emotional moment when the STORIES of Space payload took flight. Let's Celebrate Canada's New Era of Space Access Listen as Steve shares the significance of this suborbital mission—how it strengthens Canada's sovereign launch capability, what makes Spaceport Nova Scotia so strategically powerful, and why this successful demonstration matters for future orbital flights. You'll enjoy hearing Steve reflect on the countless preparations, the coordination with national agencies, and the humbling reality of seeing years of work soar into the atmosphere. STORIES of Space: A Payload with Heart Beth shares the profound impact of having STORIES of Space selected as the featured payload on this mission—representing storytellers from across Canada and around the world.Together, they discuss why sending stories to space is more than symbolic—it's deeply human, deeply connective, and essential to inspiring the next generation of explorers. Steve and Beth recount the unscripted moments from the launch site • the anticipation• the countdown• the roar of the rocket• the incredible sense of community• and the moment the payload carrying hundreds of stories lifted off to complete the 5th mission in just two short years!!! These reflections shine a light on the teamwork, passion, and persistence behind a mission that will shape Canada's space future. This episode includes special launch images, videos, and behind-the-scenes moments you won't want to miss. Learn More about Maritime Launch Services and our STORIES of Space MISSION 03 success at Posted Friday at 6:48pm – Edit or Delete

You can listen to 280: The View from the Launch Pad: Steve Matier on Building Canada's Spaceport online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

280: The View from the Launch Pad: Steve Matier on Building Canada's Spaceport is an episode from Casual Space by Beth Mund.

This episode is 27:20 long.

This episode was published on Dec 8, 2025.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Casual Space when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.