Longueuil, Quebec, August 31, 2009 – Last Friday, August 28, the Space Shuttle Discovery successfully launched at 11:59 p.m. EDT from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a Canadian-made vision system onboard. TriDAR, a vision system for rendezvous and docking was designed and built by Neptec Design Group based in Ottawa, Ontario.
TriDAR is an active vision system combining triangulation technology (LCS) and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology. It allows to view objects in 3D in full darkness or complete sun illumination.
For more information on TriDAR, visit Neptec's website at www.neptec.com.
In addition to TriDAR, the Space Shuttle Discovery was delivered the SODI-IVIDIL experiment to the International Space Station for Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Robert Thirsk and European Space Agency Astronaut Frank DeWinne to assemble and conduct. SODI-IVIDIL's international team of scientists, including Dr. Ziad Saghir, from Ryerson University, will study thermodiffusion (how liquids of different temperatures mix together) in the microgravity conditions of space. To learn more about SODI-IVIDIL and how its findings could improve oil detection and recovery, visit the CSA website at www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/sciences/sodi-ividil.asp.
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Information:
CSA Media Relations Office
Canadian Space Agency
(450) 926-4370
www.asc-csa.gc.ca
