Canada space mission targets asteroids

A composite view of Wild 2, combining two images taken from the Stardust spacecraft, shows the comet and jets. Sunlight is reflected from dust and rocks flowing off the comet. Jet Propulsion Laboratory

(canada.com) -- Canada is preparing to launch the first space mission ever to search for asteroids between Earth and the sun -- the type of asteroid most likely to slam into our planet.

Fittingly for this country, the Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite is not a Hubble-sized monster. It's a 60-kilogram microsatellite, costing a mere $10 million, yet able to deliver science results never seen before.

NEOSSat will search for asteroids that are closer to the sun than Earth. These are nearly impossible to see from our planet's surface -- there's too much atmosphere and sunshine -- but easier to spot from space. full story