...the who's who,
and the what's what 
of the space industry

Space Careers

organisation Organisation List
Copernical Team

Copernical Team

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The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (国立天文台 kokuritsu tenmondai) (NAOJ) is an astronomical research organisation comprising several facilities in Japan, as well as an observatory in Hawaii. It was established in 1988 as an amalgamation of three existing research organizations - the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory of the University of Tokyo, International Latitude Observatory of Mizusawa, and a part of Research Institute of Atmospherics of Nagoya University.

In 2004, after the Japan reform of national research organizations, NAOJ became a division of the National Institutes of Natural Sciences.

Wednesday, 24 October 2012 14:24

Aurora Max (project)

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Aurora Max is a project who shows auroras of Yellowknife (Northwest Territories, Canada). This project allows to amateur astronomers to watch auroras until the solar maximum, in 2013. Aurora Max is available only in French and in English.

 

Aurora Max-Astronomy North Picture 1

 Amateur astronomers can see auroras online and live here, from the Observatory of Aurora Max.

This is in collaboration with the University of Calgary, the Canadian Space Agency, the society Astronomy North and the city of Yellowknife.

 

Wednesday, 24 October 2012 14:16

Canadian Space Agency (CSA)

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The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) (French: Agence spatiale canadienne (ASC)) is the Canadian government space agency responsible for Canada's space program. It was established in March 1989 by the Canadian Space Agency Act. 

The headquarters of the CSA is located at John H. Chapman Space Centre in Saint-Hubert, Quebec. The agency also has offices in Ottawa, Ontario at the David Florida Laboratory and small liaison offices in Washington, D.C.; Paris; Cape Canaveral, Florida; and Houston, Texas.

Wednesday, 24 October 2012 14:02

Korea Aerospace Research Institute

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The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) is the aeronautics and space agency of South Korea. Its main laboratories are located in Daejeon, in the Daedeok Science Town.

The agency was founded in 1989.

Wednesday, 24 October 2012 11:50

Launch Services Alliance

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Launch Services Alliance is a partneship between several space companies to offer launch services.

It was created in July 2003: Arianespace joined with Boeing Launch Services and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to create the Launch Services Alliance. The flagship launchers for the Launch Services Alliance are Arianespace's Ariane rocket, Boeing's Sea Launch platform and Mitsubishi's H-II A vehicle.

The agreement enables customers to seamlessly transition among three private spaceflight platforms for maximum flexibility to ensure delivery to orbit while allowing the Alliance's three members to retain their marketing autonomy. The arrangement is roughly comparable to the airline industry's "code sharing" agreements.

Wednesday, 24 October 2012 11:34

MEASAT 3

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MEASAT-3 is a communications satellite operated by the Malaysian company MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd.

It was successfully launched on December 12, 2006, 7.35 am (Malaysian Time, GMT +8.00 HRS) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. 

In March 2003, MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd. of Malaysia ordered a Boeing 601HP satellite, giving it the designation MEASAT-3 at that time. MEASAT-3 joined the existing Boeing-built MEASAT-1 and MEASAT-2 spacecraft in the Malaysia-East Asia Satellite (MEASAT) system.

International Launch Services (ILS) was contracted as the launch provider. Boeing was specified to also provide an upgrade to the MEASAT ground facilities in Malaysia, as well as training and launch support services.

Tuesday, 23 October 2012 21:41

OSIRIS instrument

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OSIRIS is an intrument onboard the satellite ODIN. It measures the ozone depletion. 

The data collection started in 2001 and is still ongoing (July 2012).

 

Tuesday, 23 October 2012 21:12

ODIN satellite

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ODIN is a Swedish satellite working in two disciplines; astrophysics and aeronomy, and it was named after god Odin. Within the field of astrophysics, Odin is used in the study of star formation. When used for aeronomical observations, it is the ozone layer depletion and effects of global warming that are explored.

Odin was developed by the Space Systems Division of Swedish Space Corporation (now OHB Sweden) as part of an international project involving the space agencies of Finland (funded by TEKES), Canada (CSA) and France (CNES). 

Odin was launched on a START-1 rocket on February 20, 2001 from Svobodny, Russia on February 20, 2001. The duration of the mission was expected to be 2 years, but Odin is still observing (July 2012).

The onboard instrument measuring the ozone depletion is named OSIRIS.

references:

ODIN: University of Calgary (Canada)'s page

OSIRIS: Canadian Space Agency's page

Monday, 22 October 2012 21:42

Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)

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Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) is a NASA infrared-wavelength astronomical space telescope launched on December 14, 2009, and decommissioned/hibernated on February 17, 2011 when its transmitter was turned off.

WISE was an Earth-orbiting satellite with a 40 cm (16 in) diameter infrared telescope, which performed an all-sky astronomical survey with images in 3.4, 4.6, 12 and 22 μm wavelength range bands, over 10 months. The initial mission length was limited by its hydrogen coolant, but a secondary post-cryogenic mission continued for four more months.

 

Monday, 22 October 2012 21:28

Naro-1 (KSLV-1)

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Naro-1 is South Korea's first carrier rocket, which made its maiden flight on 25 August 2009. It is built by KARI, the national space agency of South Korea, and Korean Air, with the first stage provided by Khrunichev (Russia). It was twice launched from the country's new spaceport, the Naro Space Center, but both launches ended in failure.

Its previous name was "Korea Space Launch Vehicle" or KSLV. The official name of the first KSLV rocket, KSLV-I, is Naro, which is the name of the region in which Naro Space Center is located.

The Naro-1 rocket is based on the Universal Rocket Module, the first stage of the Russian Angara rocket, combined with a solid-fueled second stage built by South Korea.

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