Major In-Orbit Milestone for Dynacon's MOST Microsatellite (Forwarded)

Canadian Space Agency
St. Hubert, Quebec

Major In-Orbit Milestone for Dynacon's MOST Microsatellite

Toronto, Ontario, July 24, 2003 -- Dynacon Inc. today announced that a major
milestone in the commissioning of the MOST microsatellite was achieved
today, with the successful detumbling of the satellite. MOST was launched on
June 30, with initial radio contact being made with the satellite a few
hours after launch. Since that time, engineers at the MOST Satellite Control
Center have been gradually turning on and checking out the various items of
equipment in the satellite, a process known as commissioning. All of the
primary equipment on MOST has now been activated, and all items are
functioning properly.

MOST was released from the launch vehicle spinning slowly, at about 3
degrees per second, or one complete revolution every 2 minutes. At 7 AM
today, the Satellite Control Centre, located at the Space Flight Laboratory
(SFL) of the University of Toronto's Institute for Aerospace Studies in
north Toronto, issued the command for MOST's attitude control subsystem to
"detumble" the satellite. This is the simplest of MOST's several attitude
control operating modes, using the on-board magnetormeter (a 3-axis magnetic
compass) and magnetic torque rods to slow down the satellite's spin rate. At
8:30 AM, telemetry was received from the satellite indicating that
detumbling had been successful. MOST is now barely spinning at all, with a
residual rotation rate of about 0.05 degrees per second, or one complete
revolution every 2 hours -- half the rotation speed of the minute hand of a
clock.

Achievement of this milestone confirms the correct operation of much of the
satellite's command and control equipment. Work is now underway to proceed
towards the next milestone, activation of the satellite's active pointing
control mode.

MOST (which stands for "Microvariability & Oscillations of STars") was
developed for the Canadian Space Agency by a Dynacon-led team of Canadian
engineers. With a size about that of a suitcase, a mass of only 52 kg and a
cost under CDN$10M, this is Canada's first "microsatellite." MOST also
carries Canada's first space telescope, and will make some specialized
astronomical observations beyond the capacity of any other instrument.
Collection of science data, very precise measurements of the brightness of
target stars, will proceed in a few weeks, following completion of satellite
commissioning. A one-year long science mission is planned for MOST.

MOST was funded and managed by the Canadian Space Agency's Space Science
Branch; additional funding was provided to SFL by the Ontario government
through its Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund. Dynacon, as
Prime Contractor for the mission, led the team that developed the satellite
and its ground stations, and that is now operating MOST for the CSA. The
Principal Investigator, Dr. Jaymie Matthews of the University of British
Columbia (UBC) http://www.astro.ubc.ca/MOST/index.html, leads a team of
scientists from across Canada, the United States and Austria, who will use
measurements of the brightness of stars from the telescope on MOST to probe
the interior of stars, set a limit on the age of the Universe, and for the
first time, detect the light reflected by mysterious planets beyond our
Solar System.

The MOST project is a co-operative Canadian scientific partnership. Dynacon
developed the design for the overall MOST system, and has managed the
satellite development program. The telescope carried by MOST was developed
by a team at UBC, led by Dr. Matthews. Dynacon and SFL jointly developed the
satellite's "bus" -- which supports the telescope, points it in the correct
direction, and provides it with power, data processing and communications
services-and ground control stations. The satellite was assembled at SFL,
with participation of all principal team members. Other key partners include
the Centre for Research in Earth and Space Technology (CRESTech)
http://www.crestech.ca/ of Toronto, Spectral Applied Research
http://www.spectral.ca/ of Concord, Ontario, Routes, Inc.
http://www.routes.ca/ of Ottawa, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
(AMSAT) http://www.amsat.org/ and the Royal Astronomical Society of
Canada (RASC). http://www.rasc.ca/

About Dynacon

Dynacon Inc. is a privately held Canadian corporation, applying control
technologies to the space and laboratory automation markets. Dynacon's
capabilities are program management and systems integration, analysis and
simulation, software and hardware design and fabrication. For the space
market, Dynacon develops and exports attitude and orbit control system
products and subsystems for small satellites, and constructs complete
microsatellites. In the laboratory automation market, Dynacon's Inoculab
products reduce labor cost, increase quality, replace scarce labor and
eliminate exposure to repetitive strain injury.

About the Canadian Space Agency

Established in 1989 with its headquarters situated in Saint-Hubert, Quebec,
the Canadian Space Agency coordinates all aspects of the Canadian Space
Program. Through its Space Knowledge, Applications and Industry Development
business line, the CSA delivers services involving: Earth and the
Environment; Space Science; Human Presence in Space; Satellite
Communications; Space Technology; Space Qualification Services; Space
Awareness and Education. The Canadian Space Agency is at the forefront of
the development and application of space knowledge for the benefit of
Canadians and humanity.

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For further information:

Dr. Kieran A. Carroll Dr. Simon Grocott
Manager, Space Projects MOST Project Manager
Dynacon Inc. Dynacon Inc.
Tel: (905) 672-8828 x232 Tel: (905) 672-8828 x223
Email: Email:

Dr. Robert E. Zee
Manager, Space Flight Laboratory
University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies
Tel: (416) 667-7864
Email:

Monique Billette
Senior Media Relations Officer, Canadian Space Agency
Tel: (450) 926-4370
E-mail:

Dr. Jaymie Matthews
Associate Professor, Physics & Astronomy
University of British Columbia and
Mission Scientist, MOST Space Telescope Project
Tel: (614) 822-2696
Email:

Background information on the MOST project is available on Dynacon's web
site at
http://www.dynacon.ca/most.html
the CSA's web site at
http://www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/csa_s...onomy/most.asp
the UBC web site at
http://www.astro.ubc.ca/MOST/index.html
and the UTIAS web site at
http://www.utias-sfl.net/code/projects/index.html