Saskatchewan town prepares for launch of Canadian rocket

CBC News ^ | Tuesday, 12 Oct 2004 | staff

[Willie Green]

KINDERSLEY, SASK. - People in Kindersley, Sask., hope to get a clearer idea this week about the status of the da Vinci project, which aims to send the first Canadian rocket into space.

The Toronto-based da Vinci team had planned to enter the X Prize contest, a private space race, with a launch from the Kindersley airport on Oct. 2. The launch was put on hold indefinitely, however, because an important part of the spacecraft hadn't arrived.

Organizers have said they still plan to launch, even though the $10 million US has since been won by an American space venture.

This week, the da Vinci project's leader of ground operations, David Grossman, will attend a public meeting in Kindersley to regain some of the confidence lost because of the delay.

[Willie Green]

Looks like the boys at Possum Lodge aren't giving up.

[lormand]

The Canadians cannot build their own Subs, let alone a rocket.

[Tacis]

Yeah, right!! The cutting edge of Canadian technology came when they learned to put the caps on the bottles of LaBatt's.

These lefties will spend far more time on debating how to do everything in French and English than they will on the spaceshot, itself.

I can see the sign on the side of this rocket as it goes up a couple of thousand feet and then begins to fall. The sign (French first and then English) says, "BEWARE!! Falling Canadian space junk!!!"

[laotzu]

Perhaps this is privately financed; unlike the Canadian Navy.

[Migraine]

Beware! This rocket will have a tendency to pitch wildly to the LEFT!

[kidd]

10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...
Take off, eh?

(somebody had to say it)

[kidd]

10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...
Take off, eh?

(somebody had to say it)

[NorthOf45]

That it is ...

http://www.davinciproject.com

[asgardshill]

The launch was put on hold indefinitely, however, because an important part of the spacecraft hadn't arrived.

The Acme Rocket Corporation doesn't have the greatest reputation for on-time deliveries and quality ...

[Nik Naym]

Ever hear of the Black Brant series of sounding rockets?

The US has used and AFAIK STILL uses them and their descendants for research flights. They are Canadian, named after some goose they have up their. Anyway, the BB II was one of the coolest looking rockets ever. And they DO perform well.

http://www.bristol.ca/BlackBrant.html


I am not crazy about Canada of late, but due credit, and all that.

Nik

[NorthOf45]

Why should they? I say go for it.

As far as I know, the second Canuck team, Canadian Arrow, are still planning to launch as well.

http://www.canadianarrow.com

[FredWolfe]

It will never work. The air pressure in the upper atmosphere above Canada is too cold. Just ask the Canadian Air Force:

[Nik Naym]

DOH! Up THERE not up "THEIR"

Note to self: when home from work sick, don't post.

[RadioAstronomer]

The Canadians cannot build their own Subs, let alone a rocket.

Codswallop.

Godspeed to their endeavor.

[Willie Green]

Related thread: Canada in legal fight to deport US flying squirrel

[Joe 6-pack]

Earlier Canadian rocketry experiments have proved to be dismal failures...

[drtom]

Should we have given up once Sputnik was in orbit?

Good for them. Every good enterprise needs competitors. Godspeed, Canadian rocketmen!

[drtom]

So what. Over the decades, we have lost a good number of our astronauts, too. Persistence makes perfect.

[RightWhale]

They should keep going if at all possible. Who knows, they might beat out the competition in the space tourism business in the longer run.

[albertabound]

http://collectspace.com/ubb/Forum32/HTML/000015.html