Ottawa considers $45-million boost for Cape Breton space project
Last Updated: Friday, October 26, 2007 | 9:50 AM AT
CBC News
The federal government is considering funnelling $45 million into a plan to build a rocket launch pad in Nova Scotia, according to a report published Friday in the Globe and Mail.
The Globe, citing anonymous sources, said the funding would not be a federal subsidy, but would instead come from the proceeds of a special agreement the federal government made when signing a $3.2-billion contract last year with U.S. manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
The government agreed to purchase 17 Hercules C130J cargo planes from Lockheed. In exchange, Lockheed agreed to spend an undisclosed amount of money on regional projects.
One of the projects Lockheed has offered to invest in is a $150-million tentative plan to build a commercial launch pad in Cape Breton that would send rockets into space to service space stations and carry tourists.
The project is headed by Chicago's PlanetSpace Inc., which has a non-monetary agreement with NASA to work on commercial space projects. PlanetSpace has indicated that one of its goals is to send 2,000 tourists into space within the next five years, at a cost of at least $250,000 US a person.
The government must approve the proposed $45-million investment.
The money would go towards purchasing Athena rockets that would propel PlanetSpace aircraft into space. The investment would also fund equipment used at the launch pad site.
PlanetSpace has asked Fred Doucet, who was a senior official in the Conservative government of Brian Mulroney, to help them secure the $45 million funding, the Globe reported.
Neither the government, nor PlanetSpace, has publicly confirmed the tentative funding deal.
