Former Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Jay Aspin believes the news of Swiss Space Systems going bankrupt isn’t the end of the road.
See that story:Disappointment as North Bay's space partner declared bankrupt
And: Swiss Space Systems declared bankrupt
S3 was trying to make space more accessible by creating low-cost, reusable satellite launchers and it also intended to offer zero-gravity flights from North Bay to the general public in 2017.
Aspin, was a member of the Space Caucus back in November of 2013. That fall Aspin says he brought a number of the parties together to set the groundwork for the S3 project with Canadore College and the City of North Bay.
“I have seen what we’ve done up there. We have opened the door to let the industry know that North Bay is open for business as far as space and aerospace are concerned,” said Aspin.
“I look at it as a bump in the road, this is a highly competitive and very risky business.”
Aspin has fielded calls from other interested aerospace/space related companies who still think he’s involved.
He says he has referred them to Canadore President George Burton.
Aspin believes S3 was on the right path despite the companies financial situation.
“This is a new and innovative way to launch satellites and somebody is going to crack it because they can’t keep giving NASA billions and billions of dollars to launch these satellites. So this is a more effective way, the three-stage way that S3 developed, and either S3 or somebody else will come along and further this means of getting satellites in orbit,” said Aspin.
FedNor S3 funding
Meantime, FedNor invested $2 million to enable Canadore College to create the Advanced Composites Fabrication, Repair and Test Centre (ARC-TC) at its Aviation Campus in North Bay back in 2014.
“While Swiss Space Systems (S3) made use of the services available through Canadore College’s ARC-TC, no FedNor funding was provided directly to S3,” noted Robert Naud, Acting Director in the FedNor Communications unit, in an email to BayToday.ca.
“The ARC-TC project continues to spur innovation and encourage the formation of strategic alliances within the aerospace and aviation industries, helping to stimulate economic growth through innovative research, industrial applications, testing services and business incubation.”
