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Ottawa Shoots Down Rumours Surrounding Space Tourism Project in Cape Breton

Posted on: Monday, 29 October 2007, 15:00 CDT

By THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA - A government official is shooting down rumours that Ottawa is poised to approve a plan to invest $45 million in a rocket launch pad in Cape Breton.

There was a report last week that the federal government was considering backing the space tourism project as part of a regional development program associated with Canada's purchase of military cargo planes from Lockheed Martin Corp. of Bethesda, Md.

Deirdra McCracken, press secretary to Industry Minister Jim Prentice, says there have been no discussions with Lockheed Martin regarding the project, and there are no plans for future consultations.

As part of striking the aircraft deal with Ottawa, Lockheed Martin has promised to spend the equivalent of the $3.2-billion purchase price on regional benefits.

The company was reportedly prepared to shell out $45 million to support a proposal by Chicago-based PlanetSpace to charge wannabe astronauts $250,000 for a seat on a hypersonic glider, to be launched into space on an Athena rocket.

But McCracken says space tourism does not qualify for an Industrial Regional Benefit.

"Minister Prentice has absolutely no intention of changing that," she said in an interview Monday.

Source: Canadian Press

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