Rapidly Developed Ship-Tracking Satellite Approaches One Year On Orbit

MICROSAT BLITZ

Nanosatellite Tracking of Ships (NTS).

by Staff Writers
Toronto, Canada (SPX) Mar 09, 2009
Canada's first foray into ship tracking from space has been tremendously successful. Nanosatellite Tracking of Ships (NTS), otherwise known as Canadian Advanced Nanospace eXperiment 6 (CanX-6), a 6.5 kg, 20-cm cubical satellite, was conceived in October 2007, completed only six months later in March 2008, and launched on 28 April 2008 on board Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C9 from India.

"This has to be a record of some kind considering how well the satellite has performed," says Dr. Robert E. Zee, Director of the Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) at the University of Toronto.

"We completed a tailored development program and arranged a launch for NTS in the time it normally takes just to do a concept study. It was essential to have NTS launch in as short a time period as possible to secure confidence in space-based ship tracking technology."

NTS is an example of responsive space capabilities, that is, the ability to develop and launch a satellite in an extremely short timeframe to meet a time critical need.

Less than 10 kilograms and classified as a "nanosatellite," NTS was ejected from PSLV-C9 using an SFL-made XPOD separation system. The launch was arranged through SFL's Nanosatellite Launch Service (NLS).

SFL developed the satellite for COM DEV Ltd. of Cambridge, Ontario, while COM DEV provided an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver for the satellite that was also rapidly developed to meet the incredibly short NTS schedule.

Ships of a certain class are required to carry AIS transponders that broadcast their identity, location and heading. The system was originally conceived as a collision avoidance system and was never intended for space applications.

The challenge today is to detect AIS signals from space for global ship tracking and monitoring. According to Zee, "COM DEV has developed innovative AIS technology that allows a space-based receiver to disentangle the colliding signals from many ships over very large areas. The technology has proven to work extremely well on board NTS."

NTS is operated from SFL's mission control center at the Institute for Aerospace Studies. "The NTS mission was originally targeting one month of on orbit operations - now we are approaching one year," remarked Zee. "The NTS satellite has outlasted and outperformed its requirements."

Through NTS, SFL and COM DEV have shown how significant space missions can be accomplished using miniature satellites developed at a fraction of the traditional budget and schedule.

But the story doesn't end there. NTS is a technology demonstrator mission that precedes the development of operational space-based AIS platforms to provide data on maritime vessels. The Maritime Monitoring and Messaging Satellite (M3MSat) is the next miniature satellite currently under development by COM DEV, with the assistance of SFL, for Defence R and D Canada and the Canadian Space Agency.

M3MSat is a larger satellite (a "microsatellite" or satellite under 100 kg) that will build upon the success of NTS and be the first operational AIS satellite for the Canadian government. M3MSat will have enhanced data collection and handling capabilities over NTS. Demonstrating these enhanced capabilities on M3MSat is the next logical step to providing global AIS data services.

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

MICROSAT BLITZ

Big Science From Canada's Smallest Satellite

Toronto, Canada (SPX) Mar 09, 2009
The Canadian Advanced Nanospace eXperiment 2 (CanX-2) nanosatellite is nearing the completion of its first year in orbit. Having been developed on a shoestring budget, nearly 100 times cheaper than a traditional satellite of similar capabilities, the 3.5 kg, milk-carton-sized satellite continues to perform well in low Earth orbit.

CIVIL NUCLEAR Analysis: Kazakhs to boost uranium output Fire at Japan nuke plant, no radiation leak: operator IAEA mulls limiting chief's mandate Recycled nuclear fuel shipment leaves France for Japan	CLIMATE SCIENCE Could climate prove a change too far for Obama? Arctic Wars Set To Heat Up Part Four 'Albatross' gone, India offers hand to US Climate Change Heating Up Future Wars Part Three
FARM NEWS Raytheon Technology Protects Crops From Frost Farmers Saving The Economy Again, But For How Long Chinese dairy maker buys scandal-hit milk firm: industry association Chinese courts to accept milk-scandal cases: report	FLORA AND FAUNA Russian elite use choppers to hunt rare wildlife: activists New footage shows rare rhinos in Indonesia: WWF Oldest Fossil Brain Found In Kansas And Imaged In France Invasives Threaten Salmon In Pacific Northwest
ROCKET SCIENCE NKorea under growing pressure to scrap rocket launch Scientists develop new plasma thruster MIT Rocket Aims For Cheaper Nudges In Space India's Cryogenic Engine Set For Integration With Rocket	NUCLEAR SPACE Nuclear Power In Space - Part 2 Outside View: Nuclear future in space Nuclear Power In Space
EARTH OBSERVATION Scientists Expose Buried Fault That Caused Deadly 2003 Quake GOES-O Satellite Arrives At KSC For Final Pre-Launch Testing Earth-Observing Landsat 5 Turns 25 Three ESA Earth Science Missions Move To Next Phase	TECH SPACE Microsoft goes intercontinental via cloud and Surface Hit videogames have stories to tell Outside View: Radar shield at risk Russian General Says US May Have Planned Satellite Collision

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement