The Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) of Toronto reports it has signed of a new contract to provide Dubai-based Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) with a microsatellite for aerosol and greenhouse gas monitoring.

SFL's Next-generation Earth Monitoring and Observation (NEMO) platform technology, which incorporates high-performance ground target tracking capability, is a key enabler for the mission.

The DMSat-1 (also known as "AirWatch") satellite will leverage past developments at SFL for a rapidly developed mission that will incorporate two payloads. The primary payload is a multispectral polarimeter used to monitor aerosols - fine particles of liquid and solids in the upper atmosphere normally caused by man-made sources, but also correlating to natural phenomena such as dust storms.

The secondary instrument is a pair of spectrometers that will enable MBRSC to detect greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane over the United Arab Emirates. The study of aerosols and greenhouse gases will be conducted by researchers local to the UAE.

"We are pleased that the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre has selected SFL as their spacecraft provider for this important mission," remarked Dr. Robert Zee, Director, SFL. "We look forward to fruitful collaboration with MBRSC and this exciting mission that will benefit the UAE for years to come."

In previous missions, the SFL NEMO bus has demonstrated precise attitude control and target tracking capabilities - rare among satellite platforms of this size - that will play a key role in the accurate pointing of the DMSat-1 sensors.

SFL, based at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), will highlight its nearly 20-year history of developing successful small satellite missions at the 2017 CANSEC Conference being held May 31 - June 1 in Ottawa. Visit SFL in booth 1036 at the EY Centre.

More at Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre

Tweet

Ice Particles in Earth's Atmosphere Create Bright Flashes Seen from Space
Washington DC (SPX) May 16, 2017
The homeward-facing instrument on NOAA's Deep Space Climate Observatory, or DSCOVR, launched in 2015, caught hundreds of these flashes over the span of a year. NASA's Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) instrument aboard DSCOVR is taking almost-hourly images of the sunlit planet from its spot between Earth and the Sun. In a new study, scientists deciphered the tiny cause to the big reflect ... read more

Related Links
Space Flight Laboratory
Earth Observation News - Suppiliers, Technology and Application

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only