Tiny Satellite Set To Hunt Asteroids

coondoggie writes "Canadian scientists are developing a 143-lb microsatellite to detect and track near-earth asteroids and comets, as well as satellites and space junk. The suitcase-sized Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite includes a 6-inch diameter telescope, smaller than most amateur astronomers' scopes, that by being located 435 miles above the Earth's atmosphere will be able to detect moving asteroids delivering as few as 50 photons of light in a 100-second exposure. The NEOSSat will twist and turn hundreds of times each day, orbiting from pole to pole every 50 minutes, almost always in sunlight. The telescope has a sunshade that allows searching the sky to within 45 degrees of the Sun, in order to detect near-Earth asteroids whose orbits are entirely inside Earth's." The probe was announced a few days before the 100th anniversary of the Tunguska blast.

space junk

[thermian]

I'd say its more likely that the space junk detection bit will be more useful in the short term, since it'll need a whole lot more then this to stop another one like the Tunguska impactor.

What we need is a way of finding and clearing out the near earth orbitting man made crap so we can reliably place constellations of satellites in orbit, and open up commercial travel.

I want to see active asteroid mining taking place, and for that we need clear skies. Hundreds of ships going up and down a day will mean its absolutely required.

Satellite swarms

[OpenSourceNut]

It should be noted that this year is the 400th anniversary of the telescope.

Maybe they will soon figure out how to etch a telescope on a circuit board and send swarms of thousands of networked satellites out there to look for these asteroids.

More serious then the replies here imply

[Anonymous Coward]

The following article http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200806/asteroids puts the whole thing in a more somber perspective.

Sat Stats

[condition-label-red]

Interesting maneuvering method: solar powered magnetic fields -- no fuel needed.

NEOSSat

Telescope: Able to look for objects near the sun - a task virtually impossible to do from Earth.

Extends 30 centimetres.

Weight: 65 kilograms

Power: 45 watts with favourable orientation of solar panels

Propulsion: Solar-powered magnetic "fingers" push against the Earth's magnetic field. It will never run out of propellant.

Orbit: Sun synchronous, 800 km above the Earth, orbiting pole to pole