Toronto, Ontario, Canada 17 May 2017 The Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) of Toronto announced today the signing of a new contract to provide Dubai-based Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) with a microsatellite for aerosol and greenhouse gas monitoring. SFLs 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.
About Space Flight Laboratory (SFL)
SFL builds big performance into smaller, lower cost satellites. Small satellites built by SFL consistently push the performance envelope and disrupt the traditional cost paradigm. Satellites are built with advanced power systems, stringent attitude control and high-volume data capacity that are striking relative to the budget. SFL arranges launches globally and maintains a mission control center accessing ground stations worldwide. The pioneering and barrier breaking work of SFL is a key enabler to tomorrows cost aggressive satellite constellations. (www.utias-sfl.net).
About the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC)
The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) is integral to the strategic initiative put in place by the Dubai government to inspire scientific innovation, technological advancement, and to advance sustainable development in the UAE. The centre was originally established in 2006 as the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science & Technology (EIAST), until the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) was established in 2015 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid. MBRSCs vision is to build a sustainable space science and technology sector and contribute to the establishment of a knowledge-based national economy by launching quality projects and creating a new generation of national pioneers and scientists in order to lead our country towards a promising future. MBRSC is committed to social, economic and environmental sustainability, and we work alongside the community on a number of projects, and within schools and universities across the UAE. Visit http://mbrsc.ae/en.
