Toponymie | Canton de Potton | Place Names

Space Research Corporation (SRC) was a corporation founded by Gerald V. Bull, Ph.D., a Canadian ballistics engineer, in order to commercialize the technology of long-range artillery. 

Initially (1965), Dr. Bull directed and researched Project HARP (High Altitude Research Project) for the United States Department of Defence and Canada's Department of National Defence at the McGill University sponsored aeroballistics laboratory, at Highwater, Quebec.  The project was created with the goal of studying ballistics of re-entry vehicles at low-cost.  Whereas most such projects used expensive and failure-prone rockets, HARP used a non-rocket space launch method based on a very large gun to fire the models to high altitudes and speeds. 

When, in 1967, the budgets for Project HARP were cut, the assets of that project were turned over to the newly formed Space Research Institute, under the direction of Gerald Bull, whose main facility was 6,000 acres (2,400 hectares) straddling the Canada-US border between Highwater, Quebec and North Troy, Vermont.  It had the distinction of a new road built from the complex directly into the USA, because most of the military equipment used by the Space Research Institute was from the USA and many Americans worked on the project.  The U.S. Customs built a new Customs Office, near the entrance to the Complex, to handle this project, but Canada did not do so.^[1]  (It was later closed.)

In 1968, private funding partners were secured and a new entity formed: Space Research Corporation.  During the following decade, Space Research Corporation worked for a number of governments in its area of expertise.  SRC's main product was a modification of the U.S. standard 155 mm (6'') artillery canon, adapted into a slightly larger smoothbore.  The result was the GC-45 howitzer, firing either NATO standard 155 mm rounds or, more typically, a new shell of his own design, designated ERFB (extended range full bore), which offered considerably better aerodynamics than the original.  It could outrange the original by as much as 50%, with much improved accuracy. The Highwater test site had the distinction of being the only inland high altitude flight range in Canada.

Although the 1977 United Nations mandatory arms embargo prohibited the export of arms to South Africa, SRC reportedly supplied the apartheid regime with gun barrels and shells.  The American Central Intelligence Agency was said to have encouraged the deal, and shipment was made with the co-operation of Israeli Military Industries.  Nonetheless, U.S. Customs indicted Bull, who pleaded guilty and was imprisoned for several months.  As a result of the embargo violation however, Space Research was doomed and later its assets were liquidated. 

The Company was subsequently re-incorporated in Brussels, where Bull managed it for several years.  In the mid-1980's, Bull was contracted by the nation of Iraq to construct a satellite launching gun-system.  The “Babylon Gun”, a massive 1000 mm bore gun, was seen as a threat by Iraq's neighbours, and it is alleged that Gerald Bull was quietly targeted for assassination.  On the evening of March 22, 1990, at the age of 62, as Gerald Bull approached his apartment door in Brussels, he was shot several times in the back of the head.  Although the assassin was reportedly the MOSSAD (the Israeli national intelligence agency), the case was never solved. 

Without ever having been assembled or fired, Dr. Bull's supergun was destroyed at the conclusion of the Iraq-Kuwait war.^[2] 

Space Research Corporation gave many people well paying jobs – a good share from Potton itself.  When the SRC closed in the late 1970's, the impact was deeply felt in Potton and continued for years after.  Coupled with the general economic downturn of the 1980's, it might easily be said that Potton knew something of a severe economic depression.  Without question, SRC was Potton's largest and probably, most appreciated, employer.  Today, nothing remains of the site except vacant buildings.  Other enterprises rented the facility for comparatively short terms.  Notable among these was Bombardier who operated for a short time from some of these former SRC buildings.

Much is available on the Web about Dr. Gerald Bull and his various projects.  Wikipedia was the main source for this synopsis.