Italian Ground Station-as-a-Service (GSaaS) provider Leaf Space has launched a new antenna in Canada.

“Our new Canadian site, located at Spaceport Nova Scotia and built with Maritime Launch Services, strengthens our network while reinforcing a principle that has always guided us: satellite operators shouldn't have to choose between global coverage and operational simplicity,” Leaf Space said on LinkedIn this week.

The station’s antenna, radome, and supporting electronics rack have now been installed and activated on site, making the facility available for commercial satellite traffic.

First announced back in September 2024, the new antenna was built in partnership with Maritime Launch Services and is located at Spaceport Nova Scotia. The ground station was originally expected to be fully operational by Q1 2025.

The company said the new S- and X-Band antenna would support Treenet, a new ‘always-on’ communications platform recently launched by the company. By linking satellites and ground infrastructure into a federated mesh network, instead of relying on limited ground station passes, the service is designed to help satellites stay continuously connected in orbit.

GSaaS provides satellite operators with access to ground stations on a pay-per-use basis, allowing multiple users to book time and capacity on shared antennas, as opposed to buying their own. Startup GSaaS providers include Infostellar, RBC Signals, Atlas Space Operations, and eNexus, as well as incumbents such as KSAT and AWS.

Founded in 2014, Leaf Space offers companies access to ground station antennas with the same upfront capex requirements. Leaf Space says it has 40 active antennas across 19 locations globally – both at its own and third-party sites – and six more antennas planned. The company supports services for more than 55 satellites.

Spaceport Nova Scotia is Canada’s first commercial spaceport, located near Canso, Nova Scotia. It is owned by Maritime Launch Services.

"The completion of Leaf Space’s first Canadian ground station demonstrates Spaceport Nova Scotia’s ability to attract leading international space companies and support critical space infrastructure here in Canada... We are proud to welcome this new capability to the spaceport and strengthen Canada’s growing sovereign space ecosystem,” said Robert Feierbach, president of Maritime Launch US.