1. Canadian contributions to space exploration

2. 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

3. International Space Station
CANADARM2

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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