Canadian mini-satellite promises to detect Earth-destroying asteroids
By Donald Melanson 
posted Jun 27th 2008 4:54PM
posted Jun 27th 2008 4:54PM
It's hardly the only project out there that's aiming to detect asteroids on a collision course with Earth before it's too late, but this effort backed by Defence Research Development Canada and the Canadian Space Agency does take a slightly different tact than most and, despite appearances above, it's apparently actually close to a launch. Dubbed the NEOSSat, the suitcase-sized satellite packs a 15-centimeter diameter telescope that's able to look for objects near the sun (something impossible to do from Earth), and it'll reportedly be able to stay in orbit around Earth for at least five years using no more power than a 60-watt light bulb. If all goes as planned, the satellite will hitch a ride into space sometime in 2010, when it'll take part in NASA's efforts to find 90 percent of the 95,000 near-Earth "space rocks" that are at least 140 meters in diameter before 2020.
[Via Slashdot, image courtesy of NEOSSat]
[Via Slashdot, image courtesy of NEOSSat]
Nice use of CAD.
Man, nice use of MS paint there Canada.
^ Nice use of eyes and brains there America.
CANADIAN PRIDE.
Hey, I'm serious Beryl. I went to the website thinking this was a joke. It's no joke. Give me 5 minutes with Maya (Canadian Programmed Software) and I'd make that sat look damn cool looking for NEOSSat. Raytraced and everything.
Very nice, but which country is going to send up Bruce Willis and Aerosmith to destroy any asteroids it detects?
China.
Send up Aerosmith on the suicide mission.
They don't need nukes. They can send Steven Tyler and swallow those rocks.
nice cereal box
So once it detects the asteroid, what the fuck are we supposed to do? lol
Bury our heads in the sand. Works every time.
Contact Bruce Willis.
Attack iran of course! (or whatever country is in the eye of the then president because it has a natural resource)
I know a Canadian guy with a wickedly powerful slapshot...
Honestly guys, life on Earth has survived for a little more than a handful million years. Does anyone really believe that we will get hit by an asteroid any time in the near future?
It's nice to see how these guys create new tech up there. Really useful to study the space. But I will not feel any safer after 2010 launch of a telescope-packed suitcase.
That's why the next project will be the development of giant space laser frisbees.
"Does anyone really believe that we will get hit by an asteroid any time in the near future?"
In the year 2020 I think (maybe earlier? I can't recall) an asteroid is set to pass between the Earth and the Moon. That's pretty damn close. We need more monitoring like this in my opinion. What the hell do you think happened to the dinosaurs? (One theory, anyway)
Oh Canada!
1. Ice hockey
2. Robot space arms
3. Flavoursome beer
4. Saving the world from Texas sized space pebbles
And in return, you get humiliated in South Park, The Movie
...oh cruel world! Does it even deserve saving...? ;-)
In Canada, we just call it hockey. The yanks added "ice hockey," which is redundant in my opinion. "Ice hockey" is the original and main hockey in existence. Saying hockey should default to 'ice hockey,' and any other hockey games (like ball hockey, roller hockey, field hockey...if you call that hockey...) should be qualified with their descriptor.
In closing: please don't call it ice hockey. It's just hockey. Normally people abbreviate words instead of making them bigger, but apparently people felt the need to expand the term hockey into a phrase. Go figure.
huh? the movie? so you haven't watched south park, canada on strike eh buddy?
Not just south park, they also get bombed by the yanks on coalition missions a lot, there's just no end to the giving.
Incidentally, did they decide on if it detects an asteroid on a collision course if they'll tell the americans or not? I'd say there might be a lot of good arguments to not tell them.
@Wwhat, so we detect it, not gonna tell you, then everybody gets screwed...
what's the point of all this in the first place?
The point is that the canucks know and can buy some weed or something to stay calm, america can't stop a large asteroid anyway but they can make the time after impact way worse if they are prepared, they'd start all buying guns to shoot the people that are left and they think might have some food for instance.
I would totally believe this to be a great effort to save the world in case such an event occurs... but who takes Canada seriously?
Any asteroid that's gonna mess with us
great job canada...but will the US have to send that sat. up there for ya?..
no we're good thanks, you guys are probably so strapped for oil that you wouldn't want to bother anyways
Isn't most of the 'US space program' nowadays done by the russians?
umm, is finding "90 percent of the 95,000 near-Earth "space rocks" that are at least 140 meters in diameter before 2020" good eneogh? From the way i see it, 99% isnt even good for what the potential outcome would be......why leave settle for less than 100%
It takes a slightly different TACK than most. TACK!!!
Will it be able to destroy Ted Rogers ?
Here, Here!
sir we are ready to destroy Ted Rogers
No, Of course not...
It says it will detect "90 percent of the 95,000 near-Earth "space rocks" that are at least 140 meters" when it detects an asteroid in a trajectory to Rogers, it'll just put it in the other 10% of the 95,000 near-Earth "space rocks".
Good Lord, If the Canadians save humanity with their little mini-satellite you just know that they'll never shut up about it.
We find ways to save the earth, the US finds way's to kill the earth.
YEAH CANADA!
CANADA
FUCK YEAH!
FREEDOM IS THE ONLY WAY, YEAH!
Is that the new iPod?
lol
CHEAP DISPOSABLE CAMERA promises to detect Earth-destroying asteroids :-)
That's a fine earth-destroying asteroid alert system. It'll give us a warning 24 hours ahead of impact. We have plenty of time to say our prayers and maybe even get laid.
Yes, but can it run Doom?
More like Doom runs it...
Its not like BIG Media will ever warn us of such a thing anyways.... The government will probably be concerned about the implications on society if every1 knows we are gonna die..... lol
Ironically in reality it's always the government that freaks out and can't handle disasters, not the public, as has been shown time and again.
> using no more power than a 60-watt light bulb
Is that like saying "using no more than 60 watts" ?
most people don't know that a watt is 1 joule/second.
tact (tăkt)
n.
1. Acute sensitivity to what is proper and appropriate in dealing with others, including the ability to speak or act without offending.
2. Archaic. The sense of touch.
The word you're looking for is "tack":
tack (tăk)
v.intr.
1. Nautical.
1. To change the direction or course of a vessel: Stand by to tack.
2. To change tack: The ship tacked to starboard.
2. To change one's course of action.
cooooooooooool
hi
Step 1. Build giant camera.
Step 2. Attach giant rocket.
Step 3........
Step 4. Save Earth!
I'd hardly call suitcase-sized a "giant".
I hope it works.
Why?
Wwho
where?
Wwhen
which?
W00t
that looks like a one time use camera from Kodak.
Canadian Space Agency? Shut your fucking face uncle fucker!
(you're a fucker, yes it's true. nobody fucks uncles quite like you!)
oh yay for the canadians!!
spain is going to win!
Do you fear Death-aaa? Mr. Jones
Great, our lives are now in the hands of Spongebob Squarepants.
Soon the world will be much more silent, evolution will pass by our eyes in a link of a millisecond. Governments and high ranking idiots will be staffed in tunnels and cities built since 1940;s deep down in the earth , some up to 10 miles in depth. Thus will ensure the survival of government and loss of civilian life. Seems they always want to save their own necks huh?
After the events and the sky's have cleared they will establish a new one world government. You think it is bad now, wait till this event. This is what they are waiting for. Once 2/3rds of the population is gone it will be much easier to control the remaining surface dwellers.This is an elliptical planet of extraterrestrial origin,best hold your seat, cause Kansas is going bye bye.Think Bush said i best with "I know humans and fish can co exist"
Most think that is a joke? to him it is a very sick joke of reality.