Defence and Space
Black Brant Sounding Rockets
Whether studying the upper atmosphere or conducting micro-gravity research,
the Black Brant is the most reliable, cost effective, and available
sounding rocket to carry experiments to the fringes of space. Bristol's
solid propellant single or multi-stage Black Brant rockets provide the
lowest cost access to space. Providing up to 12 minutes of useful time
for micro-gravity experiments, aurorial studies, deep space observations
or other extraterrestrial research, the Black Brant can carry payloads
up to altitudes in excess of 1,500 kilometres and has a demonstrated
reliability of over 98% in more than 1,000 launches.
Payload and vehicle support systems are an integral part of the Black Brant
program. Designed to meet the needs of experimenters from all over the world,
they range from forward ejecting nose fairings to payload recovery by parachute.
CRV7 Rocket System
The CRV7 is the leading 2.75" unguided rocket system available
today. It offers greater stand-off distances, higher kinetic energy
and superior accuracy to both fixed wing and helicopter users.
The system offering includes rocket motors, launchers and warheads in
various models, depending upon mission objectives. With a 99% reliability,
almost 800,000 of these cost effective rockets have been produced.
Small Satellites
Bristol has been a long time advocate of a Canadian small satellite program.
Bristol has led or participated in numerous small satellite bus and mission
studies for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Department of National Defence
(DND) dating back to the early 1990’s. Bristol is now established as Canada’s sole
supplier of small satellite buses.
In 1999 Bristol was selected by the CSA to design and build the SCISAT-1 satellite to
support the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) Mission. SCISAT-1 would become Canada’s
first small science satellite since the ISIS-II mission in 1971. SCISAT-1 was launched on
August 12 2003 from a Pegasus XL launch vehicle and is currently in its sixth year of highly
successful mission operations.
In 2004, Bristol was awarded a Canadian Space Agency contract to design a generic Multi-Mission
Small Satellite Bus that could be tailored to support a wide range of anticipated Canadian satellite
missions. Bristol’s approach was to build directly upon the spacecraft technologies and ground
infrastructure developed for the SCISAT-1 mission to develop the MAC-200 bus.
CASSIOPE is the first mission to use the MAC-200 bus and is scheduled to launch in 2010.
Numerous other science and operational missions are in various stages of development at Bristol
including the RADARSAT Constellation Mission and the ORBITALS Mission.
Space Payloads
Bristol has worked closely with the Canadian and international scientific
community to develop science payloads for more than 130 space missions.
These missions encompassed sounding rocket flights, Space Shuttle and
International Space Station (ISS) experiments and small satellites.
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