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Canadian Arrow

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Canadian Arrow

Status: Study 2004. Thrust: 253.98 kN (57,097 lbf). Height: 16.46 m (54.00 ft). Diameter: 1.65 m (5.41 ft).

Canadian Arrow was designed by a team under Geoff Sheerin, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was a two-stage, three person sub-orbital rocket with the second stage doubling as an escape system. The first stage was 10.21 m long and 1.65 m in diameter with four fins at the base for aerodynamic stability. Steering of the vehicle was accomplished using graphite jet vanes and aerodynamic flaps on the fins. The second stage (crew cabin) was 6.1 m long, 1.65 m in base diameter, and contained four jet-assisted-take-off type rocket engines for second stage propulsion. The four solid rockets of the crew cabin could be ignited at any point during the flight, including before launch, to initiate a launch pad abort or an in-flight recovery sequence.

After countdown, the propellant valves would be opened, allowing the propellants to flow under gravity into the combustion chamber. Ignition occurs, initially producing only 7,700 kgf of thrust. The tanks would be brought up to full pressure, and the engine ramped up rapidly to full thrust of 25,900 kgf, lifting the vehicle from the launch pad. The first stage would burn out after 55 seconds at an altitude of 27 km. The crew cabin then would separate and burn for 5 seconds, boosting the vehicle on a ballistic arc to 113 km altitude. The acceleration prior to separation was to be no more than 4.5 Gs. The pilot was to orient the vehicle for the best window view for passengers during the flight. Just before re-entry a ram air ballute was deployed. Once the crew cabin slowed to subsonic speed the three main parachutes were pulled out, slowing the vehicle to a gentle splashdown.

The Canadian Arrow team had built a full-scale mock-up which it trucked to Manhattan in April 2002. In June 2003, Canadian Arrow announced their selection of astronauts to fly the Canadian Arrow vehicles in X Prize competition flights in late 2003, but engine development problems delayed the first launch.

Crew Size: 3.

• Canadian Arrow mock-up displayed. - . Nation: Canada. Program: X-Prize. Spacecraft Bus: X-Prize. Spacecraft: Canadian Arrow. Canadian Arrow (London, Ontario, Canada) displays full-scale rocket mock-up in New York City's Rockefeller Center..

• Canadian Arrow injector tests. - . Nation: Canada. Program: X-Prize. Spacecraft Bus: X-Prize. Spacecraft: Canadian Arrow. Canadian Arrow (London, Ontario, Canada) successfully hot fire tests first stage propulsion system injector cup.

• Canadian Arrow test stand completed. - . Nation: Canada. Program: X-Prize. Spacecraft Bus: X-Prize. Spacecraft: Canadian Arrow. Canadian Arrow (London, Ontario, Canada) rocket engine test stand complete..