Over the weekend, a first in rocketry successfully took off from northern Maine.
On Sunday, bluShift Aerospace out of Brunswick, launched their Stardust Gen.1 rocket. Liftoff took place at Loring Commerce Centre, in Limestone. The rocket is the first in the world to be powered by bio-derived fuel. The company says the non-toxic biofuel can be cheaply soured from farms, and is carbon-neutral. The launch also marked Maine's first commercial rocket launch. The company hopes to establish a space port here in Maine.
During a livestream back on Jan. 15, bluShift Aerospace said they're in a bit of a space race with Nova Scotia. Launching sites for polar orbital satellites needs to be near a coastal area with a southern ocean overflight area, making Maine (or Nova Scotia) a perfect location.