SCISAT-1, Canada’s first scientific satellite in three decades, is almost ready for its trip into space after undergoing testing in the basement of the McLennan physics building for the last six months.

To simulate the harsh conditions of space, scientists used powerful arc lights to imitate solar radiation, and refrigeration equipment that can produce temperatures just a few degrees above absolute zero.

U of T physics professor James Drummond contributed to the design of both instruments on the satellite and has been part of the extensive testing process.

“We’ve had to simulate the sun, and that’s difficult in the basement,” Drummond said at a press conference last Friday. “We’ve consumed large amounts of liquid nitrogen and liquid helium, simulating the cold of space.”

In space, the satellite must operate constantly, so for the last six weeks the testers have worked in shifts to monitor the equipment 24 hours a day. Now that testing is over and SCISAT-1 is ready to be shipped to NASA in California, “we’re tired, but we’re excited,” said Drummond.

The instruments on SCISAT-1 will use a technique called spectroscopy to analyze sunlight. Light that passes through the atmosphere interacts with its constituent chemicals, and by studying those interactions, scientists can infer the distribution and concentration of different gasses.

The larger of the two detectors, called ACE-FTS, is the most sensitive space-based spectrometer ever built, according to Marc-André Soucy of ABB Inc., one of the private contractors that contributed to the project.

The satellite, which is the size of a dorm room fridge and cost about $60 million, will be carried into space by a NASA vehicle later this year, in mid-June at the earliest. The orbiter will be flown to 40,000 feet by a NASA cargo jet, then pushed into orbit 650 km above the Earth by a multi-stage rocket that detaches from the underside of the airplane.

Once in orbit, the satellite will circle the planet 15 times each day, analyzing light that passes at a low angle through the atmosphere. Data provided by SCISAT-1 during its two-year mission will help scientists understand changes in our planet’s atmosphere.

Andrew Bell, a contractor from EMS Space and Technology and one of the people who helped test the satellite, predicted its mission will be a success. “The science team will get everything out of the instrument they are hoping for.”

Photograph by Simon Turnbull