Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite
Mission type | Asteroid detection | |
---|---|---|
Operator | CSA, DRDC[1] | |
COSPAR ID | 2013-009D | |
SATCAT no. | 39089 | |
Website | neossat | |
Mission duration | Primary mission: 1 year[2] Elapsed: 11 years, 4 months and 3 days | |
Spacecraft properties | ||
Bus | Multi-Mission Microsatellite Bus[3] | |
Manufacturer | David Florida Laboratory, Spectro, Microsat Systems[4] | |
Launch mass | 74 kg (163 lb)[5] | |
Dimensions | 137 × 78 × 38 cm (54 × 31 × 15 in)[5] | |
Power | 45 watts[5] | |
Start of mission | ||
Launch date | February 25, 2013, 12:31 | UTC|
Rocket | ISRO/Antrix | |
Orbital parameters | ||
Reference system | Semi-major axis 7,155.78 km (4,446.40 mi)[7] | |
Perigee altitude | 776 km (482 mi)[7] | |
Apogee altitude | 792 km (492 mi)[7] | |
Inclination | 98.61 degrees[7] | |
Period | 100.41 minutes[7] | |
Mean motion | 14.34[7] | |
Epoch | 24, 20, 10:52:44 UTC[7] | |
The Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite (NEOSSat)
Spacecraft
NEOSSat is a suitcase-sized
NEOSSat is a descendant of Canada's earlier
The sole instrument is a 15-centimetre (5.9 in)
Launch
NEOSSat was originally scheduled for launch in 2007,
Missions
The NEOSSat satellite carries out three missions.
The spacecraft is a demonstrator of the utility of the Multi-Mission Microsatellite Bus (MMMB) as part of the CSA's efforts to develop an affordable multi-mission bus.[19][20]
Near Earth Space Surveillance (NESS),
High Earth Orbit Space Surveillance (HEOSS),
Development
NEOSSat, originally conceived under the name NESS ("Near Earth Space Surveillance"),
DRDC's Technology Demonstration Program (TDP) approved CDN$6.5M of funding for NEOSSat in 2003. By mid-2004 CSA had approved the remaining funding needed to initiate the NEOSSat procurement, and with DRDC formed a Joint Program Office to manage the mission development.[15] At this point the spacecraft's name was changed from NESS to NEOSSat. A final Phase A study was carried out under CSA supervision in 2005, and a Phase B/C/D procurement was carried out in 2006/07, with a total development price cap of CDN$9.8M (not including launch cost). Dynacon was selected as prime contractor in 2007, at which point the total development cost was reported as CDN$11.5M, with a target launch date of late 2009.[23] Shortly after that, Dynacon sold its Space division to Microsat Systems Canada Inc. (MSCI), which completed development of NEOSSat.
As development proceeded, while the basic design concept was kept, much of the equipment in the satellite was replaced by new designs in order to meet requirements imposed by the CSA's Multi-Mission Microsatellite Bus program.[21] The basic instrument design was kept, as was the basic structure design, and the attitude control subsystem sensors and actuators; the on-board computers and radios were replaced, the instrument readout electronics was redesigned, and the external instrument "door" was replaced by an internal shutter.
By 2012, the CSA's contribution to program funding had risen by CDN$3.4M to CDN$8.8M, implying a total program contracted-out cost to end of satellite commissioning of CDN$15.4M.[24] However, according to a Canadian Space Agency audit, the total program cost by the end of 2013 was CDN$25M, including both CSA and DRDC costs, with CSA's portion of the cost reported at just under CDN$13M.[25]
Audit of the NEOSSat program
In February 2014, the CSA released a report detailing the results of an audit of the NEOSSat program, commissioned by CSA and conducted by external companies.[25] This audit, carried out as "a requirement of the CSA five-year evaluation plan", covers only the period beginning with the signing of the CSA's NEOSSat contracts in 2005 through the end of 2013.[25] Reports highlighted several negative findings of the audit, including delays in the program, and problems experienced by the satellite on-orbit that have kept it from achieving operational status. This includes the Electrical Power Subsystem interfering with the imager CCD, and delays in the development of flight software needed for operating the camera and maintaining spacecraft pointing stability.[20] These problems were mainly attributed to poor performance by the contractor, MSCI, as well as to a perception that the project had been "under-funded by as much as 50 per cent" from the outset.[26] However, MSCI has disputed criticism against the company, saying that program requirements were poorly written and that CSA staff interfered with the satellite's construction.[27]
See also
References
- ^ a b "NEOSSat: Canada's Sentinel in the Sky". ASC-CSA.gc.ca. Canadian Space Agency. February 25, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
- OCLC 609851795.
- ^ a b c Szondy, David (February 21, 2013). "First asteroid-tracking satellite will be Canadian". Gizmag. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
- ^ "Partners". Neossat.org. University of Calgary. 2013. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "NEOSSat Specs". MSCInc.ca. 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f Clark, Stephen (February 23, 2013). "Canadian asteroid-hunting satellite to launch Monday". SpaceflightNow.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g "NEOSSAT Satellite details 2013-009D NORAD 39089". N2YO. January 24, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
- ^ Bibcode:2008LPICo1405.8293H. Paper id 8293.
- ^ Spears, Tom (May 2, 2008). "Canada space mission targets asteroids". Calgary Herald via Canada.com. Retrieved June 27, 2008.
- ^ a b c Semmens, Grady (June 26, 2008). "Asteroid-hunting satellite a world first" (Press release). Eurekalert.org. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
- ^ Rakobowchuk, Peter (February 23, 2013). "Canadian satellite launches Monday to stand on guard against meteors". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
- ^ Proussalidis, Daniel (February 2, 2013). "Canada's tiny satellite keeps an eye out for danger and opportunities from above". Toronto Sun. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
- ^ a b c "The Satellite". Neossat.org. University of Calgary. 2013. Archived from the original on March 3, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
- ^ a b c Hsu, Jeremy (July 23, 2008). "Small Satellite Designed to Spot Big Bad Asteroids". Space.com. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
- ^ .
- ^ Clark, Stephen (February 23, 2013). "Canadian asteroid-hunting satellite to launch Monday". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
- ^ Kramer, Miriam (February 25, 2013). "Indian Rocket Launches Asteroid-Hunting Satellites, Tiny Space Telescopes". Space.com. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
- ^ "PSLV carrying Indo-French satellite 'SARAL' launched". Zee News. February 25, 2013. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
- ^ a b "NEOSSat (Near-Earth Object Surveillance Satellite)". European Space Agency. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
- ^ a b Wallace, Brad; Scott, Robert; Sale, Michael; Hildebrand, Alan; Cardinal, Rob (2014). The Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite: Mission status and CCD evolution after 18 months on-orbit (PDF). 2014 Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference. September 9–12, 2014. Maui, Hawaii.
- ^ a b William, Harvey; Morris, Tony (2008). NEOSSat: A Collaborative Microsatellite Project for Space Based Object Detection. 22nd Annual AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites. August 11–14, 2008. Logan, Utah. Paper id SSC08-III-5.
- ^ Carroll, Kieran A.; Hildebrand, Alan; Balam, David; Matthews, Jaymie (2000). NESS: Using a Microsatellite to Search For and Track Satellites and Asteroids. 14th Annual AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites. August 21–24, 2000. Logan, Utah. Paper id SSC00-II-1.
- ^ Bédard, Donald; Spaans, Aaron (2007). Responsive Space for the Canadian Forces (PDF). AIAA 5th Responsive Space Conference. April 23–26, 2007. Los Angeles, California. Paper id AIAA-RS-5-2007-3004. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 3, 2015.
- ^ "Canadian Space Agency Departmental Performance Report 2011-2012 - Annexes". Canadian Space Agency. 2012. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
- ^ a b c "Evaluation of the Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite (NEOSSat) Project" (PDF). Canadian Space Agency. February 2014. Project 13/14 02-02. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 6, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
- ^ Press, Jordan (July 6, 2014). "Asteroid-tracking satellite not up to the job: review". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
- ^ Press, Jordan (July 27, 2014). "Satellite company blames Canadian Space Agency for some cost overruns". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
Further reading
- Laurin, Denis; Hildebrand, Alan; Cardinal, Rob; Harvey, William; Tafazoli, Siamak (July 12, 2008). "NEOSSat: a Canadian small space telescope for near Earth asteroid detection". Proceedings of SPIE, Conference Volume 7010. Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2008: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter. June 23–28, 2008. Marseille, France. Bellingham, WA: SPIE. .