Successful Canadian Space Telescope Project MOST to be shut down
/The MOST space telescope has ben in space over 10 years, making discoveries about the interiors of stars. At a cost of just 10 million $CDN, it has been one of the most successful astronomy space projects ever. The telescope outlived its projected one-year lifespan providing data which will be studied for decades. The legacy of MOST is the fact that it was a small, relatively inexpensive spacecraft which was designed for a specific purpose - and it performed exceedingly well.
The MOST spacecraft. Photo courtesy UBC
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced that the project would be terminated September 9, 2014. According to the CSA:
Since its launch in 2003, MOST has produced over one hundred science publications and provided astronomers with new insights into the behaviour of stars. Originally planned as a one-year project, MOST was extended annually due to the telescope's continued successes. The suitcase-sized telescope will leave a prolific legacy of data for astronomers to analyze.
Earthshine President Randy Attwood poses with the MOST spacecraft in a clean room at UTIAS in Toronto in 2002
Links to information about MOST.
Canadian Space Agency News Release
