On February 25, Canadian satellite NEOSSat (Near-Earth Object Surveillance Satellite) will be launched aboard India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, in Sriharikota (India). Read more
World's smallest space telescope to launch on Monday
The smallest astronomical satellite ever built will launch shortly after 12:20 UT on Monday, 25 February 2013 as part of a mission to prove that even a very small telescope can push the boundaries of astronomy. Read more
NEOSSat, Canadas asteroid-hunting satellite, will launch Monday
Canada will launch a satellite Monday morning to look for asteroids and comets that cross Earths orbit, hoping to avoid nasty surprises like the one that blew up over Russia. Read more
The space telescope will be no bigger than a hefty suitcase and weigh just 65 kilograms, but the Canadian scientists behind the project say when the device is launched two years from now, it may well go on to save the world. The $12-million Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite, dubbed NEOSSat, is considered a world's first - designed specifically as an early warning system to pinpoint asteroids on a collision course with Earth. It will also detect space junk in the path of other orbiting satellites to prevent crashes that could shut down telecommunications - television, telephone, GPS and banking systems - around the globe.
A tiny Canadian satellite is gearing up for a mission to hunt wayward space rocks that may pose a threat to Earth. Only the size of a suitcase, the Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite (NEOSSat) has a 15-cm telescope and weighs about 65 kg. But its designed to hunt for threatening space rocks from Earth orbit, where the telescope can avoid interference from the planets atmosphere.
Canada's space industry is out to prove again that good science can come in a small package. On Thursday, the Canadian Space Agency and Defence Research Development Canada announced they are preparing to launch the Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite, or NEOSSat, a suitcase-sized telescope capable of spotting asteroids and tracking high-altitude satellites and space debris. NEOSSat follows on the success of the MOST (Microvariability and Oscillations of STars) telescope, the 60 kg star-watching satellite that was launched in 2003 and operates on a shoestring budget.
Tiny Canadian satellite to hunt for asteroids that could hit Earth Canada is preparing to launch the first space mission to search for asteroids between Earth and the sun -- the type of asteroid most likely to slam into our planet.