SCISAT satellite, a milestone in Canada's successes in space
QUEBEC CITY, Oct. 21, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - ABB, the leading power and
automation technology group, has reached an important milestone with
its Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) mission on-board of the
Canadian Space Agency's (CSA) SCISAT satellite. Successfully launched
on August 12, 2003 by NASA, the satellite is far out-performing its
original mandate, and provides excellent data related not only to ozone
depletion, but also to climate change and air quality.
SCISAT observations are helping a team of Canadian and international
scientists better understand the effects of atmospheric chemistry,
clouds and small particles (such as aerosols) on Earth's climate. After
ten years in space, ABB's instrument on-board the Canadian satellite is
providing the most accurate measurements to date of chemicals that
affect ozone.
On October 22 at the University of Toronto, scientists, government
representatives and industry partners will participate in a media event
to celebrate a decade of success for Canada's ACE SCISAT satellite
mission. The tenth anniversary of the first science data observations
from SCISAT will also be marked by a scientific workshop at York
University in Toronto from October 23-25, 2013.
"The original objective of ACE was to better understand the atmospheric
chemistry mechanisms involved in ozone layer depletion," says
Marc-Andre Soucy, Remote Sensing Industry Director at ABB.
"But its function has evolved and the additional observations allow us
to increase our knowledge of our atmosphere globally and its effects on
our day-to-day life. It has detected chemicals and gases in the
atmosphere never previously identified from space. Originally planned
for a two-year mission, the satellite lifetime has been extended over
five times, thanks to the very robust design of this complex optical
instrument."
Furthermore, SCISAT data make an important contribution to international
environmental policy aimed at protecting the ozone layer, such as the
Montreal Protocol that bans certain CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) with the
goal to protect the environment, health and well-being of humanity.
ABB was the prime contractor for the main payload of the satellite, a
high-resolution spectrometer (ACE-FTS), built under a 20M$ contract
from the Canadian Space Agency. The instrument realization involved
significant contributions from ABB industrial partners and the
scientific team, in particular from University of Waterloo, University
of Toronto and Laval University.
The ABB Analytical Product Measurement Unit facility located in Quebec
City, designs, manufactures and markets high-performance spectrometers,
is an optical systems integrator and a leader in the space and defense
markets. The ABB Group of companies (www.abb.com) operates in some 100 countries and employs approximately 145,000
people. In Canada (www.abb.ca), ABB employs 5,000 people in more than 45 locations from coast to
coast.
SOURCE ABB inc.
Image with caption: "SCISAT satellite, a milestone in Canada's successes in space. Photo credit : Bristol Aerospace. (CNW Group/ABB inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131021_C5889_PHOTO_EN_32348.jpg
