[Arctic_Menace]

sandorski sandorski:

Arctic_Menace Arctic_Menace:

I say it's high time for Canada to get really serious about space. We were the third nation in space after all...


Let's start buying/building rockets and launch them from our very own facility, which could be in Cape Breton.

Let's do more than just sending the occasional astronaut and space robotics; let's expand our horizons and start doing more than really sophisticated robotic arms. Let's start innovating new ways to do everything. Let's really get involved for once...

Just the capability to launch our own satellites would be fine with me. I don't see a good reason to have manned flights at this time. Just dramatically more expense for little to no return, at this time. Just need to be careful not to start some big expensive program that might need to be cut when a Recession hits.

Fair enough.

I'd just really like to see the following:

- Expanded funding and development of projects other than space robotics.

- Rocket launch facility in Cape Breton.

- CSA facilities in Cape Breton.

- a couple Ares V rockets and a couple Ariane 5 rockets...

[uwish]

I would support that, considering we USED to have a rocket range and we were the third country to put a satellite in orbit, I think we should be focusing on well, just what your commented on.

well done.

[Zipperfish]

Blue_Nose Blue_Nose:

$1:

Some of the staunchest criticisms came from within the Conservative Party. Tory MP Art Hanger voiced sharp concerns, and Conservatives on the Commons industry committee treated the sale with skepticism.

One Conservative MP, speaking on condition he not be named, said the sale had raised a surprising backlash among Canadians, who saw it as a point of pride being peddled to the United States – which might possibly use it against Canada's claim to Arctic waters.

Uh oh, Tories, what are you going to do? Your party is on record as supporting protectionism - mean ol' government is unprecedentedly sticking their noses in the affairs of the sacred free market.

Going to stick with your party, or your idealistic views of globalism?

I'm not so sure. Selling to Alliant Techsystems is kind of like selling to ChinaCorp--at first blush seemingly a free-market company but really just a wing of government. Alliant TechSystems makes 80% of it's revceneues from the US government. They are 80% directly propped up by US taxpayers--not so "free market" after all. Sounds like a corporate welfare case to me.

Still, instead of moving to stop the sale, the Canadian government should ponied up and got MD to take us to the moon or build a prototype of a mining space ship or develop a way to beam solar energy from space or build a delivery system for a Canadian nuclear warhead.

[inquiksilver]

uwish uwish:

I would support that, considering we USED to have a rocket range and we were the third country to put a satellite in orbit, I think we should be focusing on well, just what your commented on.

well done.

NASA technically put the Alouette 1 into orbit, but Canada was the third country to manufacture a satellite. I'm still curious though why the CSA hasn't been working on a launch vehicle of their own, as I believe the satellite behind this controversy was launched by the Russians.

[Blue_Nose]

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

I'm not so sure. Selling to Alliant Techsystems is kind of like selling to ChinaCorp--at first blush seemingly a free-market company but really just a wing of government. Alliant TechSystems makes 80% of it's revceneues from the US government. They are 80% directly propped up by US taxpayers--not so "free market" after all. Sounds like a corporate welfare case to me.

I ment free market from our side of the bargain, but yeah, it's kind of ironic that way - that's why the point was made that we shouldn't necessarily submit to free market ideals because the US won't.