A brief history of Canadian involvement in space.
1957
The space age began with the successful launch of USSR’s Sputnik 1 into orbit. That same day, the holy grail of Canadian aero engineering, the Avro Arrow, was rolled out. It flew later that year but, despite being hailed as the most viable and technologically advanced jet plane of its day, the program was cancelled in 1959.
1959
Following the demise of the Avro Arrow, 25 of Avro’s engineers were quickly hired by NASA. Shortly thereafter, another seven ex-Avro engineers were picked up by NASA. They went on to play key roles in designing the Gemini, Mercury and Apollo spacecrafts, as well as the space shuttles.
1962
Canada makes history as the third country in space when its satellite—Alouette 1—is set in orbit atop an American Thor-Agena rocket launched from Vanderberg Air Force base in California. Alouette 1 was designed to probe the ionosphere. A second satellite, Alouette 2 was sent up to continue the work in 1965 and a third, ISIS 1, in 1969.
1969
NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans to land on the surface of the moon. The four legs of the EAGLE Lander which transports them are made in Longueuil, Québec by Héroux Machine Parts Ltd. The legs are left behind when the EAGLE returns to Earth. They are still there.
1976
The Communications Technology Satellite, or Hermes, is deployed from the nose of a Delta rocket launched from Cape Canaveral. Hermes is one of the first satellites to test direct-to-home broadcasting (to which we owe the million-channel-television universe and satellite internet). It is also a cooperative venture between the Canadian Department of Communications, NASA and the European Space Agency.
