I mentioned the X Prize before (though apparently I didn’t link to it properly.) Anyway, one of the entrants is the da Vinci Project, based out of Canada. They’re planning on doing a test launch this summer some time, from Kindersley, which isn’t too far from here. I mentioned it to Erin, and I think we might try to make it to the inagural test launch during some summer holidays. Worst case scenario, we get some camping done.

Simpson’s quote of the day:
Announcer: “It’s a lovely day for a launch, here, live at Cape Canaveral, at the lower end of the Florida Peninsula, and the purpose of today’s mission is truly, really electrifying.”
Announcer 2: That’s correct, Tom. The lion’s share of this flight will be devoted to the study of the effects of weightlessness on tiny screws.”
Announcer: “Unbelievable, and just imagine the logistics of weightlessness. And of course, this could have literally millions of applications here on Earth — everything from watchmaking to watch repair.”