Churchill Rocket Research Range facts for kids
The launch site seen from Landsat 7 in June 2013
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| Location | Near Churchill, Manitoba |
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| Coordinates | 58°44′03″N 93°49′13″W / 58.73417°N 93.82028°W |
| Short name | Fort Churchill |
| Operator | Defence Research Board (1954-1958) United States Army (1959-1970) National Research Council (1970-1989) Akjuit Aerospace (1994-1998) |
| Total launches | 3,500 |
| Launch pad(s) | 4 |
| Official name: Churchill Rocket Research Range National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated: | 1988 |
The Churchill Rocket Research Range was a special place where rockets were launched into space. It is located about 23 kilometers (14 miles) outside the town of Churchill, Manitoba, in Canada. Both Canada and the United States used this site starting in 1954.
They launched small rockets called sounding rockets from here. These rockets didn't go all the way into orbit, but they went high enough to study the upper parts of Earth's atmosphere. This location was perfect for science because it was right in the middle of an area where the northern lights (auroras) happen very often. Over 3,500 rockets were launched from this site!
Sometimes, people called the site Fort Churchill because it was near an old military base (which is now the Churchill Airport). A gravel road connects the launch site to the town of Churchill.
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Why Was the Churchill Rocket Range Built?
The Churchill Rocket Research Range was first built in 1954. The Canadian Army's Defence Research Board created it. Their main goal was to study how auroras affected long-distance radio communication.
The first research program ended in 1955. However, the site was reopened and made much bigger in 1956. This was part of Canada's involvement in the International Geophysical Year (IGY). The IGY was a big worldwide science project that lasted from 1957 to 1958. Scientists from many countries worked together to study Earth and space. Rocket launches for the IGY started in 1957. The site closed again in December 1958 when the IGY project finished.
Who Used the Rocket Range?
The site was reopened again in August 1959. This time, the US Army used it, working with the Canadian government. It became part of their network of rocket stations.
In September 1959, the site was used to test new rocket fuel systems. These tests helped develop the famous Black Brant rocket. This rocket became very important for Canadian space research.
Sadly, a fire in late 1960 destroyed many buildings at the site. Because of this, the Black Brant rocket tests had to continue at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in the United States while the Churchill site was rebuilt.
The US Army stopped using the Churchill site in June 1970. After that, the National Research Council took over. They used it to support Canada's own research program about the upper atmosphere. The site was used only sometimes during the 1970s and 1980s. By 1985, most of it was empty.
SpacePort Canada: A New Idea (1994-1998)
In 1992, a Canadian company called Akjuit Aerospace was started. In 1994, they signed a 30-year agreement with the Canadian government to use the Churchill Rocket Research Range. Their big dream was to turn it into the world's first commercial spaceport. A commercial spaceport is a place where private companies can launch rockets for money.
Akjuit Aerospace put together a team of 21 companies, led by the American aerospace company Raytheon. They planned to develop the site into "SpacePort Canada." They even wanted to launch satellites into polar orbit. A polar orbit means a satellite flies over Earth's North and South Poles.
Churchill was a great location for this. It was in the Western Hemisphere, and rockets could be launched safely towards the North Pole. The only challenge was the extremely cold weather, which would limit when launches could happen. Akjuit planned to use Russian-made Start-1 rockets. These rockets were special because they were made from old Soviet-era missiles that were no longer needed.
Akjuit's first and only rocket launch happened on April 28, 1998. It was a Black Brant IXB research rocket. It carried a science experiment for the Canadian Space Agency.
Sadly, Akjuit Aerospace stopped its operations in May 1998, and the dream of SpacePort Canada ended.
What is the Site Used For Today?
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The Churchill Rocket Research Range is no longer used to launch rockets. Today, part of the property is home to the Churchill Northern Studies Centre. This is a non-profit organization that does many different kinds of research. It also offers educational trips for people who want to learn about the Arctic environment.
