DEPARTURE FOR NORWAY IMMINENT!

On  February 22, 2017
A team from Grenoble University Space Centre is currently preparing for a mission to observe the polar auroras in Norway from 26 February to 10 March.
The goal of this expedition is to validate an optical model of the ATISE instrument on the ground prior to its integration in the nanosatellite, the launch of which is planned for 2020. In keeping with the CSUG’s aim to educate students from all over Grenoble about the constraints of space, the sensor and the optical design of this model were created by students.
This mission to Norway would not have been possible without the support of the CSUG’s sponsors, namely Air Liquide and E2V.

For twelve days, the team will therefore be braving the snow and the cold, with temperatures dropping as low as -30°C, in search of the Northern Lights. The observatory in Skibotn, Troms county, is isolated, offering optimum conditions for observation, far north and far away from city lights.

ATISE is the CSUG’s first project. Its scientific objective is space weather – more specifically, observation of the Northern Lights. The scientific instrument developed by the CSUG will measure the spectra of terrestrial polar auroras in an effort to gain a deeper understanding of the deposits of particles from solar winds that cause these light emissions and disruptions to technological systems.

Published on  December 13, 2017
Updated on  December 13, 2017