A Canadian company has taken a small step towards putting private citizens into spacecraft, and a giant leap for space tourism.

The Canadian Arrow Space Centre introduced the country's first private astronaut training facility on Monday. It is set to open this spring.

"If this keeps on going, I might have a chance," said 11-year-old Mackenzie Birch, who dreams of one day going into space.

Mackenzie Birch

• INDEPTH: 100 Years of Aviation

The centre is part of a $10 million international competition rewarding the first team to carry passengers on two flights 100 kilometers from Earth.

The launch must be repeated within two weeks.

Mock-up of Canadian Arrow

Geoff Sherrin leads the Canadian Arrow team, one of the canada's two entrants in the race.

"We're kind of bottled up on this planet and it can't be a good thing for our species as explorers," said Sherrin.

"I think the Canadian Arrow and other companies like it will thrive on the human desire to get out there and see the world."

The London-based team successfully tested its half-million horsepower rocket last month. They plan to launch the $100,000 craft from a barge in Lake Huron.

Canadian Arrow will also sell space suits for under $10,000. After a couple weeks of intense training, the plan is for people to buy a flight ticket and they can keep the suit as a souvenir.

• FROM MAY 13, 2003: Team chooses Saskatchewan as launch pad for rocket launch

The other Canadian team is the Toronto-based da Vinci Project led by Brian Feeney. His team plans to build its vehicle and rocket by late winter.

Feeney's team has chosen a launch site about 200 kilometres southwest of Saskatoon near Kindersley, Sask.