Canada: On its Way to Mars (Forwarded)
- From: Andrew Yee <ayee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2007 05:08:43 GMT
Canadian Space Agency
August 4, 2007
Canada: On its Way to Mars
LONGUEUIL, QUEBEC -- NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander launched successfully this
morning at 5:26 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
Canada's meteorological station on the lander will track the weather and
climate on Mars.
"Large-scale international projects, like the Phoenix mission, advance
Canada's position in the knowledge economy," said the Honourable Maxime
Bernier, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Canadian
Space Agency. "Our newly released Science and Technology Strategy --
Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage -- recognizes the
importance of encouraging and showcasing Canadian know-how and ingenuity."
Phoenix will travel a total of 680 million kilometres to land in the
Arctic region of Mars in late May, 2008, and use its 2.35-metre robotic
arm to dig for clues about the history of water on Mars, as well as the
soil's potential for harbouring life. Canada's meteorological station will
help accurately model Mars's climate and predict future weather processes.
This information may improve understanding of Earth's dynamic polar
regions by comparing the two planets.
Canada's participation in Phoenix brings together expertise from
government, industry and the research community from across the country.
York University leads the Canadian science team with participation by the
University of Alberta, Dalhousie University, Optech and the Geological
Survey of Canada (part of Natural Resources Canada), with international
collaboration from the Finnish Meteorological Institute. MDA Space
Missions is the prime contractor for the meteorological station, in
partnership with Optech. Aarhus University (Denmark) constructed the wind
telltale.
The mission is led by the University of Arizona in partnership with NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The Canadian Space Agency is one of the
international partners that include the University of Neuchatel
(Switzerland), the University of Copenhagen (Denmark), and the Max Planck
Institute in Germany.
About the Canadian Space Agency
Established in 1989, the CSA coordinates all civil space-related policies
and programs on behalf of the Government of Canada. The CSA directs its
resources and activities through four key thrusts: earth observation,
space science and exploration, satellite communications, and space
awareness and learning. By leveraging international cooperation, the CSA
generates world-class scientific research and industrial development for
the benefit of humanity.
For more information, please visit the Agency's website:
http://www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/exploration/phoenix.asp
Video, animations and pictures are available at this address:
ftp://ftpsts118.space.gc.ca/users/jjanu/pub/
For more information, please contact:
Canadian Space Agency
Media Relations
450-926-4370
www.space.gc.ca
.
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