CASSIOPE
Encyclopedia
CASSIOPE is a hybrid satellite
project of the Canadian Space Agency. Planned for launch in an elliptical polar orbit in 2011, it will carry a commercial communications system called Cascade and a scientific experiment package called ePOP (enhanced Polar Outflow Probe). This combination gives rise to the acronym CASSIOPE, from "Cascade, Smallsat and Ionospheric Polar Explorer".
The University of Calgary
's Institute for Space Research will lead the project. The satellite instruments will gather data on Solar storm
s in the upper atmosphere. These storms give rise to the Polar aurora or "northern lights" seen in the skies in northern latitudes. While these wavy monsters may offer a thrilling night time spectacle, they can interfere with radio communications, GPS navigation, and other space-based systems. The eight scientific instruments aboard CASSIOPE will help scientists understand "solar weather" and eventually plan for measures to mitigate its deleterious effects.
The commercial payload will provide a secure digital store-and-forward
file delivery service, exploiting the fact that CASSIOPE passes over much of the globe 15 times per day. It is often described as a courier
service, with the customers using a small parabolic antenna of one or two meters (three or six feet) to upload or download files at a rate of 1.2 gigabits per second. The storage capacity will be between 50 and 500 gigabytes and the "delivery" time will be about 90 minutes, depending on the pickup and deposit points on the globe.
The two missions will also serve as a test for the bus or platform for this kind of small satellite. The same design would be reused for subsequent missions, after any required enhancements.
The main contractor will be Bristol Aerospace
of Winnipeg, Manitoba and two of the eight scientific instruments aboard will be supplied by international partners, NASA
and JAXA.
At this stage designers estimate that CASSIOPE will weigh approximately 375 kg. (about 800 pounds). It will have an hexagonal shape with dimensions of 1.6m (about 5 feet) at its narrowest and 1.8m (about 6 feet) at its widest. This might change as the project advances.
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
project of the Canadian Space Agency. Planned for launch in an elliptical polar orbit in 2011, it will carry a commercial communications system called Cascade and a scientific experiment package called ePOP (enhanced Polar Outflow Probe). This combination gives rise to the acronym CASSIOPE, from "Cascade, Smallsat and Ionospheric Polar Explorer".
The University of Calgary
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
's Institute for Space Research will lead the project. The satellite instruments will gather data on Solar storm
Solar storm
Solar storm can refer to:*Solar flare, a large explosion in the Sun's atmosphere*Coronal mass ejection , a massive burst of solar wind associated with solar flares*Geomagnetic storm, the interaction of the Sun's outburst with Earth's magnetic field...
s in the upper atmosphere. These storms give rise to the Polar aurora or "northern lights" seen in the skies in northern latitudes. While these wavy monsters may offer a thrilling night time spectacle, they can interfere with radio communications, GPS navigation, and other space-based systems. The eight scientific instruments aboard CASSIOPE will help scientists understand "solar weather" and eventually plan for measures to mitigate its deleterious effects.
The commercial payload will provide a secure digital store-and-forward
Store and forward
Store and forward is a telecommunications technique in which information is sent to an intermediate station where it is kept and sent at a later time to the final destination or to another intermediate station. The intermediate station, or node in a networking context, verifies the integrity of...
file delivery service, exploiting the fact that CASSIOPE passes over much of the globe 15 times per day. It is often described as a courier
Courier 1B
Courier 1B was the world's first active repeater satellite after launch on 4 October 1960. Courier was built by the Palo Alto, California–based Western Development Labs division of Philco, previously known as Army Fort Monmouth Laboratories and now the Space Systems/Loral division of Loral Space &...
service, with the customers using a small parabolic antenna of one or two meters (three or six feet) to upload or download files at a rate of 1.2 gigabits per second. The storage capacity will be between 50 and 500 gigabytes and the "delivery" time will be about 90 minutes, depending on the pickup and deposit points on the globe.
The two missions will also serve as a test for the bus or platform for this kind of small satellite. The same design would be reused for subsequent missions, after any required enhancements.
The main contractor will be Bristol Aerospace
Bristol Aerospace
Bristol Aerospace is a Canadian aerospace firm located in Winnipeg, Manitoba and is an operating division of Magellan Aerospace.-History:Bristol Aerospace began in 1930 as the MacDonald Brothers Aircraft Company. Brothers Jim and Grant MacDonald moved to Winnipeg from Nova Scotia in 1904 to start a...
of Winnipeg, Manitoba and two of the eight scientific instruments aboard will be supplied by international partners, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and JAXA.
At this stage designers estimate that CASSIOPE will weigh approximately 375 kg. (about 800 pounds). It will have an hexagonal shape with dimensions of 1.6m (about 5 feet) at its narrowest and 1.8m (about 6 feet) at its widest. This might change as the project advances.