More Can. Space Agency Firsts?

[Sachyriel]

So, I was reading the wikipedia article about the Canadian Space Agency (don't ask why, I woke up two hours ago) and saw that Canada had the third satellite in orbit (and it lasted ten times longer than it was expected to), had the first geostationary satellite communications network.

I was just wondering if we could get more prestige from other victories, or even get a place closer to the equator through some negotiations to launch it ourselves ion a Canada-built rocket? C'mon, we could've called it The Bluenose and had a commemorative dime!

How about a man in space under our own program, launched from a vehicle we made, anywhere?

 

[mowque]

Maybe some type of British-Canada- Other Commonwealth joint program?

 

[Astrodragon]

First Beaver in space?

 

[MacCaulay]

The arm on the Space Shuttle is also Canadian. And not American/Canadian. It's Canadian. That's their contribution to the Shuttle program.

 

[Sachyriel]

The arm on the Space Shuttle is also Canadian. And not American/Canadian. It's Canadian. That's their contribution to the Shuttle program.

We made two of those things. There's another on the ISS itself.

 

[Thande]

Canada's main space skills lie in robotics and manipulation. Perhaps they could have contributed to sample retrieval mechanisms on sample return probes? Anything bigger than that needs a more radical POD, although there is a private Canadian company currently working on a spaceplane.

 

[Coyote Knight]

Canada's main space skills lie in robotics and manipulation. Perhaps they could have contributed to sample retrieval mechanisms on sample return probes? Anything bigger than that needs a more radical POD, although there is a private Canadian company currently working on a spaceplane.

Not only robotics, but we also made the weather sensing components on Martian probes. Apparently robotics, communications and weather are our space specialties.

And the Canadian spaceplane is barely Canadian anymore. The company behind it is based in Chicago and merely a joint-venture with a rich Canadian and American. The rocket is American and nearly all the sponsors are American. The only Canadian aspect is that the craft is being built in London, Ontario I believe.

Here it is, the Silver Dart.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Dart_(spacecraft)

And I just found out that the Silver Dart will no longer be used. The new vehicle is to be something provided by Lockheed Martin.

 

[Berra]

I would say Bull Gun Wank or some extensive Northern Light research.

 

[Mike Stearns]

You have to change the mission statement of the Canadian Space Agency. If you to have Canada go to the moon, for example, you have to have a Canadian space program that emphasizes pure research.

 

[Sachyriel]

*bump*

First Beaver in Space, what rocket carries it? Canadian research, launching and safely landing a live animal for a later attempt at the same thing using humans. Beavers can't do any control things, so don't think we can train it.

1980; Canada buys a rocket from the USA, launches it from a British territory on the Equator. Inside is Dudley Do-Right, the first Beaver in space.

How much does it cost?

 

[Eigenwelt]

Curling. In. Spaceeeee.

I'm sold.

 

[Mike Stearns]

Canada's main space skills lie in robotics and manipulation. Perhaps they could have contributed to sample retrieval mechanisms on sample return probes? Anything bigger than that needs a more radical POD, although there is a private Canadian company currently working on a spaceplane.

Don't cancele the Avro Arrow, then. Some people have suggested that if the Arrow hadn't been killed by the Diefenbaker government, then Canada might have beaten the United States to the moon.

 

[Workable Goblin]

Your best bet is some type of Anglo-Commonwealth project, though how you'll get the UK to cough up the funds is beyond me. Of course, this merely shifts the center, but it would be very difficult to get a major Canada-only space program. It's just not a rich or populous enough country.

 

[Corbell Mark IV]

I would say Bull Gun Wank or some extensive Northern Light research.

Agreed!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Bull

The ultimate goal of the program was the Martlet-4, a three-stage 16.4" rocket that would be fired from a lengthened gun at Barbados and would reach orbit. In 1964 Donald Mordell was able to convince the Canadian government of the value of the HARP project as a low-cost method for Canada to enter the space-launch business, and arranged a joint Canadian-US funding program of $3 million a year for three years, with the Canadians supplying $2.5 million of that. Another 16.4" gun, mounted horizontally, was being tested at the Highwater range, and was extended by cutting the breech off the end of one gun and welding it to the end of another to produce a new gun over 110 feet long. The extension allowed the powder to be contained for a longer period of time, slowing down the acceleration and loads on the airframe, while also offering higher overall performance. Once the system had been tested at Highwater, a second barrel was shipped to Foul Bay, attached and strengthened with external bracing to allow it to be raised up from the horizontal. This gun was extensively tested in 1965 and 66.[18]
The orbital project faced a constant race with its own budget. Originally guaranteed three years of funding, the money was handled by the DRB, who was less than impressed with its former "star" going on to greater things while their own funding was being dramatically cut. Although the money was allocated for 1964, the DRB managed to delay delivery for ten months, forcing McGill to cover salaries in the interim. These problems did not go unnoticed in the US Army, and in order to ensure that firings would not be interrupted by problems on the Canadian side, a third double-length gun was built at the Yuma Proving Grounds to continue the high-altitude measurements. On November 18, 1966 this gun launched a Martlet-2 to 180 km, a world record that still stands today.[16]
By 1967 it was becoming clear that the Martlet-4 would not be ready by the time the funding ran out in 1968.

 

[Mike Stearns]

Your best bet is some type of Anglo-Commonwealth project, though how you'll get the UK to cough up the funds is beyond me. Of course, this merely shifts the center, but it would be very difficult to get a major Canada-only space program. It's just not a rich or populous enough country.

I disagree. I think that Canada could be a major player in manned space exlporation if it wanted to be. The Arrow conclusively demonstrates that Canada is capable of conducting advanced technology research without relying on outside funding, or having to partner with another country. The Arrow was first the jet fighter designed to fly at high mach speeds and was the first jet fighter to integrate fly by wire technology. The Arrow was so advanced that the major American, British and French aircraft manufacturers patently said that it could not be built, and would not fly.

 

[Sachyriel]

Don't cancele the Avro Arrow, then. Some people have suggested that if the Arrow hadn't been killed by the Diefenbaker government, then Canada might have beaten the United States to the moon.

Watch out for the Avro conspiracy theorists. Or else RogueBeaver will get uppity about a conspiracy involving those conspiracy theorists.

Your best bet is some type of Anglo-Commonwealth project, though how you'll get the UK to cough up the funds is beyond me. Of course, this merely shifts the center, but it would be very difficult to get a major Canada-only space program. It's just not a rich or populous enough country.

Add in India, Canada gave them nuclear technology, maybe they'll help out in Space exploration.

Agreed!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Bull

...you know that's only good for cargo? Big guns pointing up to make things go into Orbit. I maybe wrong about the specific design of this gun but I don't think you want to use it when launching squishy things like people or beavers. I'd like to see it used to launch cargo in a TL about Canadian firsts though. Thanks.

 

[Al-Buraq]

Your best bet is some type of Anglo-Commonwealth project, though how you'll get the UK to cough up the funds is beyond me. Of course, this merely shifts the center, but it would be very difficult to get a major Canada-only space program. It's just not a rich or populous enough country.

I can't remember the title, but Arthur C Clarke wrote a story, in the '50s where the Commonwealth Space Programme put a team on the Moon. From memory the crew were one each Canadian, British and Australian. Clarke was, of course a leading member of the British Interplanetary Society and the story was actually a manifesto.
In the real world British governments of course preferred free false teeth.

 

[Al-Buraq]

I disagree. I think that Canada could be a major player in manned space exlporation if it wanted to be. The Arrow conclusively demonstrates that Canada is capable of conducting advanced technology research without relying on outside funding, or having to partner with another country. The Arrow was first the jet fighter designed to fly at high mach speeds and was the first jet fighter to integrate fly by wire technology. The Arrow was so advanced that the major American, British and French aircraft manufacturers patently said that it could not be built, and would not fly.

B****LKS! The Air Forces of and Aircraft industries of the countries mentioned clearly recognised how advanced the Arrow was. The RAF desperately wanted 144, but the politicians kiboshed it (perhaps under US pressure). Rolls Royce were desperate to develop the RB 106 for it. The French wanted it, especially with the proposed Canadian Orenda engine. Lockheed wanted the titanium manufacturing technology (and got it by the back door). The US even made the proposal that they would take over the manufacturing and sell the plane back to Canada.
To paraphrase a famous writer " When an elderly and distingushed head of an Industry says that something cannot be built--it means that he can't do it, but someone else most certainly can."

This is one conspiracy that isn't a theory.

 

[Corbell Mark IV]

...


...you know that's only good for cargo? Big guns pointing up to make things go into Orbit. I maybe wrong about the specific design of this gun but I don't think you want to use it when launching squishy things like people or beavers. I'd like to see it used to launch cargo in a TL about Canadian firsts though. Thanks.

Well, sure. But the school of thought that manned spaceflight is a circus that drains money away from more cost effective exploration with probes has always been there and has much to recomment it.

In TTL, Canada gets to run with that idea and see how it works out.

 

[Talwar]

I read in Wikipedia that there's a university in Ontario building a Mars lander/rover combo on the cheap. Their primary challenge is finding cash for a rocket.