Canadian contributions to space exploration

International Space Station Since 1998, orbits 400 km above Earth Largest spacecraft ever built Canadarm2 Robotic device One of three designed and built in Canada by a Canadian company Moves astronauts around as they work outside the space station Can bend around corners and grasp objects with computer-controlled fingers

International Space Station CANADARM2

Satellites Canada was the 3rd country in the world to launch a satellite Called Alouette 1 Collected data about extreme upper regions of atmostphere Launched a bunch of satellites called Anik Started in 1972 Anik 1 gave Canada 12 television channels  first country with a satellite in geostationary orbit!! :o Extremely important for connecting northern parts with rest of country Anik F3 (2007) is 5900kg, provides broadcast and broadband internet services across North America

Timeline 1918 – at 1.83m, largest telescope in the world at Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Victoria, BC Beginning of serious gvt funding in research in astronomy 1935 at U of T  another big telescope Showed beginning of universities helping research 1951 – Canadian Impact Crater Program Impacts have a profound impact to life on Earth 1960 – discovery by Canadians of complex molecules in space 1985 – Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics opened  world leader in understanding planetary systems, stars and life cycles, origin and evolution of universe

Sudbury Neutrino Observatory World’s more powerful detector of neutrinos (particles emitted by nuclear reactions in stars and supernovas) Solved the solar neutrino problem 2000 Canadian scientists recovered a meteorite in BC from a lake Most primitive meteorite EVER!! About 4.5 billion years old – how old we expect our solar system to be! :o