Canadian mini-satellite promises to detect Earth-destroying asteroids

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]

[fanman @ Jun 27th 2008 4:57PM]

Nice use of CAD.

[Interpol @ Jun 27th 2008 5:00PM]

Very nice, but which country is going to send up Bruce Willis and Aerosmith to destroy any asteroids it detects?

[Darren @ Jun 27th 2008 5:15PM]

China.

[The Dude @ Jun 27th 2008 6:40PM]

Send up Aerosmith on the suicide mission.

[Mark @ Jun 28th 2008 7:23AM]

They don't need nukes. They can send Steven Tyler and swallow those rocks.

[sjoback @ Jun 27th 2008 5:01PM]

nice cereal box

[grull27 @ Jun 27th 2008 5:04PM]

So once it detects the asteroid, what the fuck are we supposed to do? lol

[Reader @ Jun 27th 2008 5:21PM]

Bury our heads in the sand. Works every time.

[linumax @ Jun 27th 2008 5:34PM]

Contact Bruce Willis.

[Wwhat @ Jun 27th 2008 8:16PM]

Attack iran of course! (or whatever country is in the eye of the then president because it has a natural resource)

[wazzupalex @ Jun 27th 2008 8:25PM]

I know a Canadian guy with a wickedly powerful slapshot...

[Alex @ Jun 27th 2008 5:07PM]

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.

[Interpol @ Jun 27th 2008 5:10PM]

That's why the next project will be the development of giant space laser frisbees.

[t3_slider @ Jun 27th 2008 6:07PM]

"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)

[wazzupalex @ Jun 27th 2008 5:10PM]

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...? ;-)

[t3_slider @ Jun 27th 2008 6:11PM]

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.

[initialxy @ Jun 27th 2008 8:16PM]

huh? the movie? so you haven't watched south park, canada on strike eh buddy?

[Wwhat @ Jun 27th 2008 8:18PM]

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.

[initialxy @ Jun 27th 2008 8:33PM]

@Wwhat, so we detect it, not gonna tell you, then everybody gets screwed...

what's the point of all this in the first place?

[Wwhat @ Jun 28th 2008 2:14PM]

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.

[John P. @ Jun 27th 2008 5:13PM]

Man, nice use of MS paint there Canada.

[beryl @ Jun 27th 2008 6:48PM]

^ Nice use of eyes and brains there America.

CANADIAN PRIDE.

[John P. @ Jun 27th 2008 11:11PM]

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.

[David Dryman @ Jun 27th 2008 5:16PM]

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?

[Sukhminder @ Jun 28th 2008 4:03AM]

Any asteroid that's gonna mess with us

[Byttle @ Jun 27th 2008 5:16PM]

great job canada...but will the US have to send that sat. up there for ya?..

[toonie @ Jun 27th 2008 6:48PM]

no we're good thanks, you guys are probably so strapped for oil that you wouldn't want to bother anyways

[Wwhat @ Jun 27th 2008 8:21PM]

Isn't most of the 'US space program' nowadays done by the russians?

[NY Chris @ Jun 27th 2008 5:17PM]

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%

[John A. @ Jun 27th 2008 5:18PM]

It takes a slightly different TACK than most. TACK!!!

[Inkreef @ Jun 27th 2008 5:19PM]

Will it be able to destroy Ted Rogers ?

[JJ @ Jun 27th 2008 5:30PM]

Here, Here!

[le Chen @ Jun 27th 2008 5:44PM]

sir we are ready to destroy Ted Rogers

[Mark @ Jun 28th 2008 7:29AM]

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".

[DOOM @ Jun 27th 2008 5:28PM]

We find ways to save the earth, the US finds way's to kill the earth.

YEAH CANADA!

[phanbouy @ Jun 28th 2008 2:16AM]

CANADA
FUCK YEAH!
FREEDOM IS THE ONLY WAY, YEAH!

[Interpol @ Jun 27th 2008 5:41PM]

Is that the new iPod?

[Dtplaytek @ Jun 27th 2008 5:44PM]

lol

[Fraggle.Rock @ Jun 27th 2008 5:55PM]

CHEAP DISPOSABLE CAMERA promises to detect Earth-destroying asteroids :-)

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jun 27th 2008 6:01PM]

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.

[JemaKnight @ Jun 27th 2008 6:05PM]

Yes, but can it run Doom?

[Bryan Thornsberry @ Jun 27th 2008 6:11PM]

More like Doom runs it...

[spam_from_engadget @ Jun 27th 2008 6:26PM]

> using no more power than a 60-watt light bulb

Is that like saying "using no more than 60 watts" ?

[Grant @ Jun 27th 2008 6:58PM]

most people don't know that a watt is 1 joule/second.

[Donedadonedone @ Jun 27th 2008 6:27PM]

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.

[Labeeb @ Jun 27th 2008 6:44PM]

cooooooooooool

[Labeeb @ Jun 27th 2008 6:45PM]

hi

[Grant @ Jun 27th 2008 6:56PM]

Step 1. Build giant camera.
Step 2. Attach giant rocket.
Step 3........
Step 4. Save Earth!

[Shadyman @ Jun 27th 2008 7:18PM]

I'd hardly call suitcase-sized a "giant".

[thedesolate1 @ Jun 27th 2008 7:05PM]

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