The last time a large asteroid hit the Earth it killed off 70-80 per cent of all life on the planet. To meet this threat the Canadian Space Agency is developing a $12-million Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite called NEOSSat.

To be launched in 2010 the Satellite will track some of the tens of thousands of large asteroids in danger of striking the Earth. The CSA also hopes It will detect space junk in danger of colliding with orbiting satellites. NEOSSat, fitted with a baffle to block the sunlight, will be positioned far above the Earth where its 15-centimetre diameter telescope will beam back images from deep space. Scientists hope that NEOSSat will be able to detect space junk that is up to 50,000 kilometres away, predict collision paths with commercial satellites, or foresee if any will fall to Earth.

NEOSSat is part of the next generation of Satellites to fill a niche in space exploration. It will be the size of a large suitcase, weigh less than 75 kilograms and be designed and built in three years.

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