JULY 23--The Canadian Space Agency has launched into orbit what it claims is the smallest astronomical space telescope. The MOST (Microvariability and Oscillations of STars) telescope carries image sensors from UK manufacturer, e2v technologies (imaging.e2vtechnologies.com) to observe and accurately gauge the Universe through the analysis of stars.
MOST was built by Dynacon Inc. and the Universities of Toronto and British Columbia and serves as Canada's first space telescope. Another phase of its mission is to pick up light reflected by unidentified extra-solar planets, which has not yet been achieved to date.
The two CCD47-20 sensors from e2v will be used to capture detailed images during the focused astronomical observations of the MOST telescope. Mounted side by side, the star tracker CCD and the science sensor make for a compact and economical design.
