Northern Light, Canadian Project |
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Northern Light, Canadian Project |
 Sep 3 2007, 01:44 PM
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#1
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 Special Cookie  Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228  |
Did anyone made reference to this project?
"The science team for Northern Light currently includes more than fifty scientists from twelve universities from across Canada. The mission is being developed by a public-private consortium of academic and industrial organizations led by Thoth Technology." All this for only $20 million?! 
-------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Sep 3 2007, 02:12 PM
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#2
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14432 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
It couldn't look more like Beagle 2 (physically, or programmatically) if it tried.
You need to put a 0 on the end of that $20M to make it work. Doug |
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Sep 3 2007, 02:14 PM
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#3
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2511 Joined: 13-September 05 Member No.: 497 |
This web site hasn't been updated since 2004 that I can see, and it says nothing about how they were delivering anything to Mars. I'd assume, then, that this project is dead. I'd certainly not heard anything about it before.
-------------------- Disclaimer: This post is based on public information only. Any opinions are my own.
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Sep 3 2007, 02:16 PM
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#4
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 Member Group: Members Posts: 267 Joined: 5-February 06 Member No.: 675 |
The web site looks more like an old proposal (site dated 2004, press items on its web page dated 2002-04) than an active project. The 2009 launch date seems quite unrealistic now.
On the other hand, recent press material (Aug. 23, 2007) from York University, the lead academic institution for the project, implied the target date was still active with a helicopter drop test of the EDLS scheduled for September. Steve I see now that Mike has already made some of the same observations. This post has been edited by Steve: Sep 3 2007, 02:17 PM |
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Sep 3 2007, 02:30 PM
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#5
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
It seems to be alive and on schedule according to Ben Quine, the project leader...:
"It would go late in 2009. We're aiming to have all our hardware together a year from now, and that will give us a year to integrate and shake out the bugs." "We seem to be on schedule. We've been working on this since 2001." News released on Aug 22, 2007. -------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Sep 3 2007, 02:37 PM
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#6
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Member Group: Members Posts: 267 Joined: 5-February 06 Member No.: 675 |
Some more press reports (incorporating material from the press release I mentioned earlier) from Ottawa and Vancouver. The Vancouver article indicates that Simon Fraser University is also contributing to the project. Note that these articles are all credited to Tom Spears, who also wrote the item cited by USTRAX.
There's also an old paper by Brendan Quine (the PI) alluding to an earlier planned 2007 launch date. Does anyone know anything about Quine's track record? Whether there's much reality behind these optimistic reports remains to be seen. Steve |
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Sep 3 2007, 02:48 PM
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#7
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Member Group: Members Posts: 267 Joined: 5-February 06 Member No.: 675 |
I've got a bit of a hint as to where Quine is coming from. Looking him up in the Astrophysical Data System I found eight papers, one from 2001 on a proposed mars orbiter mission, the others on atmospheric spectral studies, related instrumentation, and baloon borne missions.
Steve |
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Sep 3 2007, 03:53 PM
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#8
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 Member Group: Members Posts: 524 Joined: 24-November 04 From: Heraklion, GR. Member No.: 112 |
I see the University of Western Ontario is also a partner in Northern Light.
Shame on you Phil, did you plan to let us know after the landing ? 
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Sep 3 2007, 03:56 PM
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#9
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 Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8783 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Based on the press release, it still looks like he's fishing for sponsors; wouldn't put too much stock in any schedule right now.
Doug's right, though; $20M seems ludicrously low for a feasible Mars mission. -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Sep 3 2007, 04:06 PM
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#10
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
Regarding the Beagle 2 inspiration, Colin Pillinger is on the science team as Co-I for the Lander...
I'll try to get something from that source... 
-------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Sep 3 2007, 04:22 PM
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#11
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2511 Joined: 13-September 05 Member No.: 497 |
QUOTE (djellison @ Sep 3 2007, 07:12 AM)  You need to put a 0 on the end of that $20M to make it work. While I think that might be unduly pessimistic (at least for the right team) I share your skepticism that a total mission cost of $20M (which presumably includes the Rockot launch, cruise stage, etc, as well as the landed hardware) is very (one is tempted to say "laughably") thin. -------------------- Disclaimer: This post is based on public information only. Any opinions are my own.
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Sep 3 2007, 04:39 PM
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#12
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 Senior Member Group: Admin Posts: 4763 Joined: 15-March 05 From: Glendale, AZ Member No.: 197 |
Of course if that's in Canadian dollars you need to knock another million off their low estimate. Comes to about 18.9 million US and 9.4 milllion GBPounds.
-------------------- If Occam had heard my theory, things would be very different now.
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Sep 3 2007, 05:14 PM
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#13
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Solar System Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 10153 Joined: 5-April 05 From: Canada Member No.: 227 |
"I see the University of Western Ontario is also a partner in Northern Light.
Shame on you Phil, did you plan to let us know after the landing ? " They never mentioned it to me! Seriously - I'm involved in PRIME, not this one. Phil -------------------- ... because the Solar System ain't gonna map itself.
Also to be found posting similar content on https://mastodon.social/@PhilStooke Maps for download (free PD: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...Cartography.pdf NOTE: everything created by me which I post on UMSF is considered to be in the public domain (NOT CC, public domain) |
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Sep 3 2007, 05:20 PM
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#14
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14432 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
QUOTE (ElkGroveDan @ Sep 3 2007, 05:39 PM) 9.4 milllion GBPounds. Beagle 2's budget is rumoured to have been something like 3 to 5 times that much, and even at that price, significantly lower than it should have been. Doug |
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Sep 4 2007, 08:47 AM
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#15
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Member Group: Members Posts: 524 Joined: 24-November 04 From: Heraklion, GR. Member No.: 112 |
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