ESSENCE (Educational Space Science and Engineering CubeSat Experiment)

Test a Canadian-developed wide-angle camera to observe snow and ice coverage in Northern Canada.

Test a Canadian-developed wide-angle camera to observe snow and ice coverage in Northern Canada. The information collected through its images could help map the thawing of Arctic ice and permafrost and give a better picture of the impacts of climate change in the region.

Test a solar energetic proton detector, provided by the University of Sydney, to collect data that will enable a better understanding of the effect of Solar Proton Events (SPEs).

The primary objective is centered on the training of high-quality personnel with professional skills in space science and technology, and inspiring young students to pursue STEM programs with a focus on space. The secondary goal is to conduct scientific and technological experiments in space by the low-cost and quick-turn-around CubeSat platform.

The technological experiment concerns a novel attitude control theory and algorithm of spacecraft, while the scientific experiment is to observe Earth’s environment by monitoring arctic ice, permafrost thaw, and forests from the vantage point of ISS, and to investigate the space weather by measuring energetic solar protons.