It’s rare, but astronauts have already left the planet for the birth of their child. Most recently, NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, who will command the Artemis III mission next year, was flying aboard the space shuttle Atlantis in 2009 when his wife gave birth to their daughter in Houston. This launch was delayed for several weeks to repair a leaking valve on the Dragon’s propulsion system, work that involved cutting the suspect valve and welding in a new one, an unusual but apparently successful repair method.
Canadian company develops medium-sized rocket. More and more countries are interested in developing their own access to space, including those that have historically paid American companies to launch their satellites. Canada is no different, and the Trump administration’s apparent obsession with threats and tariffs across the northern border has only crystallized Canadian interest in sovereign access to space.
This spring, the Canadian government announced the first awards to three companies – NordSpace, Reaction Dynamics and Canada Rocket Company – to support work on rockets with “light transport” capability. Now, one of those rocket developers, Canada Rocket Company, says it’s skipping the small launch segment and moving straight to a more ambitious medium-range rocket, Ars reports.
R-2 V2? … Canada Rocket Company is following the lead of several U.S. launch providers in opting for a larger rocket. “The advice we received after talking to about 150 engineers, from Starship’s director of engineering on down to some newbies, is that you won’t be able to de-risk a rocket development program by building a smaller rocket,” said Hugh Kolias, general manager of Canada Rocket Company, in an interview with Ars.
The company’s R-2 rocket somewhat resembles SpaceX’s Falcon 9 in renderings, with nine engines and landing legs that point to a future path toward first stage reuse. It could carry up to 12.5 tonnes into low Earth orbit. If all goes well, Kolias said, the company could be ready to go by 2032.
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