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Planet Space update. From Thursday's CBPost.

Last updated at 11:52 PM on 21/02/07

PlanetSpace chair says deal is imminent

BY TANYA COLLIER MACDONALD
The Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — PlanetSpace expects to sign a deal with the provincial government by June, giving them Crown land to build an orbital launch pad in Cape Breton.

“I think we’re 60 to 90 days before we come to a final agreement,” said Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, chairman of PlanetSpace, based in Chicago, Ill.

The space company is considering three parcels of land and has its engineering teams analysing the properties to identify one that offers the best trajectory, launch capabilities and is most suitable for Canada’s first manned-space program.

“They’re going to spend the next 45 days looking at the different pieces of land and try to evaluate them and come to some objective criteria,” he said.

Kathuria was in Toronto on Wednesday to meet with PlanetSpace board members, partner Geoff Sheerin from Canadian Arrow, and staff from Nova Scotia Business Inc.

“We spent the whole day together going through the details,” he said. “It was to ensure that everyone is on the same page.”

PlanetSpace announced in early February it signed a space-act agreement with NASA giving the company the ability to move forward with its orbital and sub-orbital plan. Now they’re working to meet criteria outlined in that agreement.

“There are several milestones,” said Kathuria. “We’re about 90 per cent done with our first milestone and (it’s) not due for another quarter.”

The agreement has NASA helping PlanetSpace become a better competitor in the agency’s upcoming Commercial Crew and Cargo program.

The agreement to share information helps the company better understand the agency’s requirements for space station crew, cargo transportation, launch vehicles and spacecraft and NASA human rating criteria.

PlanetSpace will work to develop and demonstrate its vehicle capabilities as well as systems and operations needed to transport crews and cargo to and from a low-Earth orbit destination. As the demonstration unfolds, NASA will acknowledge the company’s accomplishments.

The rocket to be launched is PlanetSpace’s Silver Dart.

The first demonstration flight is planned for December 2009.