Canada's First Microsatellite - An Enabling Low-Cost Technology for Future Space Science and Technology Missions

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Abstract
The MOST (Microvariability and Oscillations of STars) astronomy mission has been chosen by the Canadian Space Agency's Small Payloads Program to be Canada's first space science microsatellite, and is currently planned for launch in early 2003. The MOST science team will use the MOST satellite to conduct long-duration stellar photometry observations in space. A major science goal is to set a lower limit on the age of several nearby "metal-poor sub-dwarf" stars, which may in turn allow a lower limit to be set on the age of the Universe. To make these measurements, MOST will incorporate a small (15 cm aperture), high-photometric-precision optical telescope developed by the University of British Columbia. The MOST mission does not only call for the expansion of the frontiers of science, however. There are a number of important technological firsts for Canada as well. A direct benefit of meeting the formidable challenges of the MOST mission is the creation of a versatile spacecraft bus that can be used for a multitude of science and technology missions that could not be performed previously using a spacecraft of similar size and cost.

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