Space Research Group

University of Calgary

Current Projects
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Auroral Imaging Group

The Auroral Imaging Group (AIG) is a world leader in developing and operating instrumentation for observing the Northern Lights.

AIG Homepage
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CASSIOPE / e-POP

The Enhanced Polar Outflow Probe (e-POP) is a research payload on the CASSIOPE spacecraft that is collecting new data on space storms and associated plasma outflows from the Earth’s ionosphere.

e-POP Website
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SWARM (CEFI)

Swarm is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission to study the Earth's magnetic field. University of Calgary researchers provided the Canadian Electric Field Instruments (CEFI).

SWARM Website (ESA)
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ABOVE

ABOVE is the Array for Broadband Observations of VLF/ELF Emissions. It is a project to deploy an array of sensitive radio receivers across Western Canada and deliver data from those receivers.

ABOVE Website
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Miniature Plasma Imager

Designed and built at the University of Calgary, this new prototype instrument is designed to examine the physics of processes in Earth’s upper atmosphere, and how energy from the sun affects the structure and motion of matter within it.

Media Story
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Past Projects

Long History of UofC Space Research
Project Description Date Link
ABOVE^2 ABOVE^2 is a balloon campaign to augment the ground-based ABOVE receivers providing high-altitude measurements of X-rays and ELF/VLF radio waves related to electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. 2016-10 Link (UofC)
GO Canada UCalgary leads four of the arrays that comprise GO Canada (auroral imagers, riometers, photometers, and very low frequency (VLF) receivers). 2016-01 Auroral Imaging Group (UofC)
RISR-C The Resolute Bay Observatory is home to NSF's Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar - North (RISR-N), and the UofC's RISR-C (Canada) radar. 2015-08 Auroral Imaging Group (UofC)
SWARM (CEFI) UofC contributed the electric field instruments to the ESA SWARM mission. 2013-11-22 SWARM (ESA)
CASSIOPE / e-POP UofC led the development of the e-POP mission on the CASSIOPE satellite, and continues to operate the satellite collecting data on space storms and plasma outflows. 2013-09-29 e-POP Homepage (UofC)
S520-26 Japanese Sounding Rocket flight.
UofC provided Imaging Mass Spectrometer
2012-01-12 Link (Japanese)
S520-23 Japanese Sounding Rocket flight.
UofC provided Suprathermal Ion Imager
2007-09-02 Link (Japanese)
THEMIS UofC ground-based instruments collect data in conjunction with the 5 THEMIS satellites in orbit. 2007-02-17 Auroral Imaging Group (UofC)
JOULE-II NASA Sounding Rocket Flights.
UofC provided Suprathermal Ion Imagers
2007-01-19 JOULE-II (UofC)
CGSM / NORSTAR UofC operated the photometer, riometer, and All Sky Imager components of the CGSM network. 2005 Auroral Imaging Group (UofC)
JOULE NASA Sounding Rocket Flights.
UofC provided a Suprathermal Ion Imager
2003-03-27 JOULE (UofC)
CUSP NASA Sounding Rocket Flight.
UofC provided a Suprathermal Ion Imager and a Suprathermal Electron Imager
2002-12-14 CUSP (UofC)
SS520-2 Japanese Sounding Rocket flight.
UofC provided the Thermal Suprathermal Analyzer instrument (TSA).
2000-12-04 SS520-2 (UofC)
GEODESIC Canadian Sounding Rocket Flight. (Mission lead: UofC)
First flight of CCD-based particle detectors (Thermal Electron Imager, and a Suprathermal Ion Imager)
2000-02-26 GEODESIC (UofC)
Nozomi Japanese led Mars Atmospheric Explorer Mission.
UofC contributed the Thermal Plasma Analyzer (TPA) instrument.
1998-07-04 Nozomi (ISAS/JAXA)
ACTIVE Canadian Sounding Rocket Flight.
UofC led the mission and contributed the Thermal Plasma Analyzer
1998-04-28 ACTIVE (UofC)
Interball-A Russian satellite project consisting of two satellite pairs.
UofC contributed the UltraViolet Auroral Imager instrument.
1996-08-29 INTERBALL (Russian Space Research Institute)
OEDIPUS-C CSA / NASA Souding Rocket Flight.
UofC contributed two identical Thermal Ion Detectors.
1995-11-07 OEDIPUS-C (UofC)
Freja Swedish satellite.
UofC contributed the Auroral Imager and operated the Cold Plasma Analyzer.
1992-10-06 FREJA (UofC)
Akebono Japanese satellite (which operated for 26 years!).
UofC contributed the Suprathermal Mass Spectrometer.
1989-02-22 AKEBONO (UofC)
Viking Sweden's First satellite.
UofC provided two ultraviolet cameras for the satellite.
1986-02-22
CANOPUS All-Sky Imager UofC deployed the first CCD based auroral imager. 1986 Auroral Imaging Group (UofC)