A Canadian-made camera is giving the world some of the latest images from the moon.
Toronto-based Canadensis built a total of seven cameras for the long and arduous trip to the moon aboard the Odysseus lunar module.
These cameras are used in several images released this week by Intuitive Machines, the company that built Odysseus and is responsible for operating it in space.
“Most, if not all, of the images you’ve seen of the round-Earth Intuitive Machine come from our cameras,” said Frank Teti, general manager of Canadensis Aerospace. ” he said.
The lunar lander Odysseus touched down on the lunar surface on February 22, and Canadensis received images sent back from the spacecraft when limited connectivity between the ship and control in Houston was available. There is.
The latest estimates from Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus say that complications during the landing caused the Odysseus spacecraft to stabilize at an angle of about 30 degrees.
This made communication with the spacecraft even more difficult.
“We watched the launch with great interest to see if it would actually launch,” Teti said. “We watched the landing and are now in the middle of the operation. It’s a very exciting time.”
Two of Canadensis’ cameras were supplied to Odysseus itself, and the other five were supplied as part of a package (what the space industry calls a payload) carried onboard the ship.
According to Teti, Canadensys engineers have played an active role in payloads for the International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA). They are effectively operating these cameras remotely by sending scripts to the cameras and retrieving data from the machines to her ILOA.
Canadensis’ cameras captured Odysseus’ moon landing. (intuitive machine)
This package is a test run for a planned lunar observatory, the first of its kind to be installed on the lunar surface. Canadensis has signed a contract with ILOA to manufacture cameras for pilot operations and future missions to the moon.
NASA and Intuitive Machines officials had worried that Odysseus’ awkward landing position would lead to an early grave, but on Wednesday they revised their estimates of the spacecraft’s battery life.
Intuitive Machines chief Altemus even suggested that the spacecraft could be reactivated in a few weeks and send even more data to Earth.
According to Teti, it’s very rare to test space cameras in real-world operating conditions, so any feedback the Canadensys team gets is critical.
“We are looking closely at every part of our operations and data to see how we can improve,” he said. “This is a great opportunity to collect valuable user data.”
Teti said his company started making lunar cameras because it couldn’t find any other suppliers for those kinds of parts.
It’s not easy.
He explained that the camera must be strong enough to withstand the enormous pressure and vibrations of launch, the electromagnetic radiation of space, and the moon’s extreme surface temperatures.
His company was only one of two companies that took part in Odysseus’ mission. MDA was a Brampton, Ontario-based company that manufactured landing sensors for the mission.
This is an exciting moment for Canada’s space industry, said Rory MacDonald Gauthier, a blogger who specializes in writing about space.
He acknowledges that the federal government has invested heavily in this industry and used that investment to give Canadians a greater role in future missions.
“But it’s also just Canada really standing up and saying, ‘We’re not just here to participate in space exploration, we’re here to lead the way.'”
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen is preparing to fly to the moon aboard the Artemis II mission, scheduled to launch next year.
