NEWS BRIEFS

NASA AWARDS SPAR $4.2 MILLION FOR SPACE STATION CONTRACT

Jan.10.96 - Spar Space Systems of Brampton, Ontario was awarded a contract for three so-called "shoulders" or power data grapple fixtures for use on the space station. These mechanisms serve as attachment points (shoulders) along the station for the Canadian built Remote Manipulator System. The contract, managed by the Canadian Commercial Corporation will take place over the course of the next 1.5 years.

MOBILE SATELLITE NETWORK RAMPING UP

Several news releases indicate the ramping up of Mobile Satellite activity to its operational phase in Canada. The launch of AMSC-1 in April '95 was the first of two such satellites to provide mobile communications throughout North America. AMSC-1 is owned and operated by the American Mobile Satellite Corporation (AMSC). AMSC is in partnership with TMI Communications of Ottawa who owns and operates the second spacecraft, MSAT, to be launched in late March this year. The spacecraft complement each other and together extend the ground footprint for the communications network.

Jan.10.96 - Infosat Telecommunications announced today that is has become Canada's third national service provider for the MSAT communications network. Infosat also recently signed an agreement with CruisePhone Inc. of Florida to provide MSAT services to the Canadian marine market.

Jan.3.96 - Glentel Inc. of Burnaby, B.C. launched its national MSAT communications network service. Glentel will be providing fixed phone, fax, data transmission and dispatch radio services through a network of independent dealers across Canada.

Dec.21.95 - TMI announces a contract with TRANSYS Netowrks Inc. of Montreal for a FAX service over the MSAT communications network.

EVENTS TO WATCH FOR IN '96

HIRES Sounding Rocket

- a NASA sounding rocket is scheduled to take this Canadian astrophysics experiment aloft from Wallops Island, Virginia

MSAT Launch

- scheduled on Ariane 42P flight V85 for the end of March

STS-76 (Mir Docking)

- QUELD II (Queen's University Experiment in Liquid Diffusion) to be transferred to the Mir Space Station, scheduled for launch March 21st.

STS-77

- 2nd flight of Marc Garneau, this time as Mission Specialist

- Commercial Float Zone Furnace to fly in SpaceHab 04

- Aquatic Research Facility (Mid-deck locker payload)

- NANO-GAS Getaway Special - Growth of nano-porous semiconductors (U of Toronto)

- ACTOR Getaway Special (on backup/stand-by) - Manufacture of Organic Thin Films (U de Moncton)

STS-78

- 1st flight of Bob Thirsk - Payload Specialist - slated for launch in June

- will include a number of experiments in space life sciences, e.g. Torso Rotation Experiment

Microgravity Isolation Mount

- Launched by Priroda to Mir Space Station scheduled for May. The MIM is a device that helps minimize vibrations to provide for a "cleaner" microgravity environment.

Interball UVAI Launch

- launch date is still to be decided but currently slated for April - June timeframe. Interball carries aloft a suite of scientific instruments including the Canadian built Ultra-Violet Auroral Imager.

Conferences

- 26th International Symposium on Remote Sensing, Banff, Alberta; March 25 - 29

- CASI Annual General Meeting, Ottawa, Ontario, April 29 - May 1

- 22nd Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Geophysical Union, Banff, Alberta; May 5 - 9

- SpaceBound '96 Winnipeg, Manitoba, May 8 - 10

- CASI 9th Astronautics, Ottawa, November 12 - 15

- CAISU Student Space Access Conference, Ottawa, November 12

(CASI = Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute, CAISU = Canadian Alumni of the International Space University)

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