Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite

Lore & Background

NEOSSat was originally conceived under the name NESS ('Near Earth Space Surveillance') and proposed by Dynacon in 2000 to DRDC and CSA as a follow-on to the MOST microsatellite mission. DRDC's Technology Demonstration Program approved CDN$6.5M of funding in 2003, and by mid-2004 CSA had approved the remaining funding. The spacecraft's name was changed from NESS to NEOSSat, and Dynacon was selected as prime contractor in 2007. Shortly after, Dynacon sold its Space division to Microsat Systems Canada Inc. (MSCI), which completed development.

The satellite carries out three missions: a demonstrator of the Multi-Mission Microsatellite Bus, the Near Earth Space Surveillance (NESS) mission led by Alan Hildebrand of the University of Calgary to search for near-Earth asteroids, and the High Earth Orbit Space Surveillance (HEOSS) mission led by Brad Wallace of DRDC for experimental satellite tracking. The telescope uses two passively cooled 1024×1024 pixel CCDs, one for science and one for the star tracker, and a baffle to shield from sunlight. NEOSSat takes 100-second exposures and up to 288 images per day.

An audit released by CSA in February 2014 highlighted negative findings including delays, problems with the Electrical Power Subsystem interfering with the imager CCD, and delays in flight software development. These problems were mainly attributed to poor performance by MSCI and a perception that the project was 'under-funded by as much as 50 per cent' from the outset. MSCI disputed the criticism, saying program requirements were poorly written and CSA staff interfered with construction.

Reader's Guide

NEOSSat is significant as a Canadian microsatellite that demonstrates the utility of the Multi-Mission Microsatellite Bus for affordable space missions. Its primary mission, NESS, targets interior-to-Earth-orbit asteroids, including Aten and Atira classes, which are difficult to detect from Earth due to twilight sky background light. The satellite's orbital position avoids this stray light, allowing a small-aperture telescope to detect asteroids as faint as visual magnitude 19. The HEOSS mission supports Canada's role in NORAD by tracking satellites in the 15,000 to 40,000 km range, including geostationary communications satellites, and provides data to the Space Surveillance Network. Despite technical problems and cost overruns—total program cost reached CDN$25M by end of 2013—NEOSSat represents a step in Canada's efforts to develop low-cost satellite platforms for both civilian and defense applications. The audit noted that the project faced delays and on-orbit issues, but the satellite continues to operate as a demonstrator for future missions.

Did You Know?

• NEOSSat uses spare CCD detectors from the MOST mission.
• The satellite requires no on-board fuel, using magnetic torque rods to dump excess momentum.
• It takes 100-second exposures and can detect objects down to magnitude 20.
• NEOSSat launched alongside the Canadian military satellite Sapphire on an Indian PSLV-C20 rocket.