# Canucks in Spaaaaaace! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 18, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503 "2005-05-18T23:48:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/1 "2005-05-18T23:48:57Z")
[Canadian Arrow gets a new backer.](http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/050517_canadianarrow_planetspace.html) > [@](#): > > A Canadian space tourism firm has teamed up with a U.S. businessman to form a new company that aims to launch its first public spaceflight by 2007. > > The London, Ontario-based Canadian Arrow effort announced today its plans to work with Internet and telecommunications entrepreneur Chirinjeev Kathuria to form PLANETSPACE, a new firm that will not only complete and launch a passenger-carrying suborbital spacecraft, but branch into other mediums as well. > > “It brings the resources to Canadian Arrow to allow us to complete our vehicle,” said Canadian Arrow leader Geoff Sheerin, also serving as PLANETSPACE president and CEO, of the partnership during a telephone interview. “So it’s pretty significant from that standpoint.” ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/2 "2005-05-19T00:38:22Z")
Good thing Diefenbaker’s dead. My husband will be thrilled at the news - he’s a huge Arrow fan. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/3 "2005-05-19T01:00:59Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > Good thing Diefenbaker’s dead. Who? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/4 "2005-05-19T02:47:26Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Who? The Canadian PM who killed the Avro Arrow. Also, in the OP what the hell does a space flight firm mean by ‘other mediums’? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/5 "2005-05-19T02:51:43Z")
> [@adam yax](#): > > The Canadian PM who killed the Avro Arrow. > > Also, in the OP what the hell does a space flight firm mean by ‘other mediums’? Well, the guy who’s footing the bill is a telecom/internet magnate, so no doubt he’s looking for ways to use their technology to expand his empire. Somebody comes up with a fairly cheap method of launching sats and you can expect to see high speed internet via sat very cheap, sat phones as cheap as cell phones, and whoever gets there first is going to make the big bucks. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/6 "2005-05-19T03:29:19Z")
Hmmm, 2007. No, I don’t think I’ll be able to afford to go on the maiden voyage. I don’t plan to be rich untill… ::checks schedule:: Nobel prize, no. Colinization of Mars, no. Become Emperor of all Humanity, no. Ah, yes, here it is 2015. In 2015 I’ll be rich enough to afford a space cruise. ---
**Author:** ![trupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@trupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trupa)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/7 "2005-05-19T15:49:50Z")
::sigh:: what a nice tribute to the original Arrow. I really hope this one flies. I’m with your hubby on this one **featherlou**. I’m an aviation buff and a major Avro Arrow fan, (_may Dief ever have to fly on decrepit aeroflot rust-buckets in the afterlife, and may his diet consist solely of left-over AirCanada economy class dinners (the fish ones nobody wants, too.)_ ) We must alert Tim Horton’s R&D dept: they need to start work on a zero-g double-double. And no-crumb butter tarts. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/8 "2005-05-19T19:36:24Z")
Oh, wicked awesome. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/9 "2005-05-20T02:56:29Z")
I think Rutan’s design is far superior. The Canadians are basically using V-2 rocket technology with a capsule on top. The rocket is expendible, and the capsule splashes down in water. This requires recovery teams, and opens the possibility for all kinds of failures. It also sounds like a much more expensive way to go than a totally reusable craft that glides to a landing at the airport it took off from. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/10 "2005-05-20T03:00:17Z")
We’re not designing it on a budget funded by a tech billionaire, either. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/11 "2005-05-20T03:15:20Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > I think Rutan’s design is far superior. The Canadians are basically using V-2 rocket technology with a capsule on top. The rocket is expendible, and the capsule splashes down in water. This requires recovery teams, and opens the possibility for all kinds of failures. It also sounds like a much more expensive way to go than a totally reusable craft that glides to a landing at the airport it took off from. Uh, **Sam** , check some of the details out [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=317426) and get back to me on that. **Sunspace** , hate to tell you this, but [Chirinjeev Kathuria ain’t exactly a pauper.](http://www.sikhtimes.com/bios_060903a.html) > [@](#): > > “Kathuria, a practicing Sikh, openly acknowledges to the crowd his ‘unique appearance,’ putting the crowd at ease with him immediately. Sikhs do not cut their hair or beards and wear a turban as a symbolic ‘crown of spirituality.’ Kathuria made his first appearance at the Chicago Conservative Conference in Mar., when he surprised many conservatives with his pro-business, pro-free market remarks. The market value of the companies Dr. Kathuria co-founded and help build reaches reportedly the $1 billion mark.” ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/12 "2005-05-20T15:16:38Z")
> [@trupa](#): > > ::sigh:: what a nice tribute to the original Arrow. I really hope this one flies. I’m with your hubby on this one **featherlou**. I’m an aviation buff and a major Avro Arrow fan\ Have you been to the Arrow museum in town? Fairly cool. And if you have to drive though Moose Jaw any time soon, you can pick up all kinds of Arrow goodies at their Western Development Museum there. /local hijack. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/13 "2005-05-21T04:47:50Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Uh, **Sam** , check some of the details out [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=317426) and get back to me on that. Rutan’s my hero. I came close to buying a Long-EZE once - maybe I’ll buy one now, just so I can say I have a Rutan-designed plane! Besides, they’re way cool. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/14 "2005-05-21T05:33:00Z")
As for the thread title, so far there have been a total of eight Canucks In Spaaaaaaaaace!: [link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_space_program) ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/15 "2005-06-03T00:46:52Z")
[They’ve settled on the Canadian Forces Meaford Range and Testing Area as a launch site.](http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/050602_planetspace_launchsite.html) ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/16 "2005-06-03T03:24:33Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > As for the thread title, so far there have been a total of eight Canucks In Spaaaaaaaaace!: [link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_space_program) Upon discussion with Dad (RCAF, Retired) this past week, seems a whole whack of Canadians have gone south to join the space program. The killing the Avro was the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canucks-in-spaaaaaace/304503/17 "2005-06-03T05:13:19Z")
Yep. When the Arrow project was cancelled, a whole flock of engineers left Canada and joined Lockheed, Grumman, and NASA. Canada suffered a huge brain drain.