More Can. Space Agency Firsts?

[Workable Goblin]

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.

The problem is that major space exploration is very expensive and difficult (look at the amount of funding that both the Soviet and American programs got--it was quite a lot, even after the end of the Space Race). Canada doesn't really have the funds to compete, and without some other attractor they're better off working with the US than trying to build their own program.

That said, Canada certainly could do more. They have enough money to do joint US-Canada interplanetary missions, or to have Canadian astronauts (earlier than OTL, anyway).

 

[Sachyriel]

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.

I heard the Americans don't want their shuttles anymore, maybe we can buy a spare booster rocket? Not the big ones, one of the slimmer ones.

 

[Coyote Knight]

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.

I'm sorry, but that's bull. Canada barely had enough money for the ridiculously expensive Arrow; how could we have possible afforded an entirely Canadian space program?

As an aside, Canada built the tires of the lunar rover and we also built and designed the golden lander part of the lunar landers. In essence, we're STILL on the moon.

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.

Yep. York University is currently building and testing the first all-Canadian martian probe.