The Canadian government has officially approved a launch application for what could be the first privately sponsored manned spaceflights staged from the North American country.

Transport Canada, the country's transportation agency, announced today that it has approved a launch window for two manned spaceflights by the GoldenPalace.com/da Vinci Project, a Toronto-based team of rocketeers competing in an international suborbital space race.

According to Transport Canada's Launch Safety Office, the da Vinci team has a window extending from Oct. 2 to Nov. 1 to make two launches using its piloted space vehicle Wild Fire Mark VI.

"We've come a long way in a short amount of time," said da Vinci team leader Brian Feeney in a Sept. 30 statement to X Prize followers. "We are committed to fly."


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