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NEOSSat: Canada's Sentinel in the Skies

Launch: 2012
Status: In development

Canada is currently building NEOSSat (the Near-Earth Object Surveillance Satellite), the world's first space telescope dedicated to detecting and tracking asteroids and satellites. Slated for launch in 2012, it will circle the globe every 100 minutes, scanning space near the Sun to pinpoint asteroids that may someday pass near our planet. NEOSSat will also sweep the skies in search of satellites and space debris as part of Canada’s commitment to keeping orbital space safe for everyone. NEOSSat applies key technology already demonstrated in Canada’s very successful MOST satellite.

An Eye on Asteroids

The suitcase-sized NEOSSat will orbit approximately 800 kilometres high above the Earth, searching for near-Earth asteroids that are difficult to spot using ground-based telescopes. Because of its lofty location, it is not limited by the day-night cycle, and can operate 24/7. The hundreds of images that NEOSSat will generate per day will be downloaded and analyzed by the University of Calgary’s NEOSSat science operations centre. Through NEOSSat, Canada will contribute to the international effort to catalogue the near-Earth population of asteroids producing information that will be crucial to targeting new destinations for future space exploration missions.

Space Debris Surveillance

In its other capacity, NEOSSat will monitor orbiting space objects to help minimize collisions between objects. NEOSSat will keep track of the positions of both satellites and "space junk" as part of the High Earth Orbit Surveillance System (HEOSS) project by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) and will be the first microsatellite used for this purpose. One of the major advantages of using NEOSSat in this capacity is that, unlike ground-based telescopes, NEOSSat will be able to track satellites and space debris in a wide variety of locations and not be limited by geographic location, the day-night cycle, or weather. The information produced by NEOSSat will bolster Canada’s contribution to international efforts to maintain the safety of Canadian and international assets, both civilian and military.

Partners

NEOSSat is jointly funded by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC). The satellite is built by Microsat Systems Canada Inc., with support from Spectral Applied Research and COM DEV Int Ltd (formerly Routes AstroEngineering). The two Principle Investigators are Dr. Brad Wallace from DRDC and Dr. Alan Hildebrand from the University of Calgary. Dr. Hildebrand leads the Near Earth Space Surveillance project with scientific collaborators from the University of British Columbia, the Planetary Science Institute, the University of Arizona, the University of Western Ontario, the University of Hawaii, NASA, and SAIC. Dr. Wallace leads the High Earth Orbit Space Surveillance project and the science team whose mission is to track satellites and debris in High Earth Orbit.

Links

• NEOSSat team website: www.neossat.ca

• Defence Research and Development Canada: www.drdc-rddc.gc.ca

• Microsat Systems Canada Inc.: www.mscinc.ca