Canadian Space Agency St. Hubert, Quebec Canadian Probe Launched to Mars CALGARY, ALBERTA, July 3, 1998 -- The Honourable Ron Duhamel, Secretary of State (Science, Research and Development) along with Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Chris Hadfield and the University of Calgary officials, today announced the successful launch of a Canadian probe to Mars on the Japanese spacecraft Planet-B as part of a global effort to continue surveying the Martian atmosphere, surface, and interior. Successful lift off occurred today from Japan's Kagoshima Launch Center. The satellite was launched on a Japanese M-5 rocket. Planet-B will be carrying a Canadian-designed and Canadian-built Thermal Plasma Analyzer (TPA), an atmospheric probe which will measure low-energy particles and gases considered vital to the understanding of the origin and composition of the Martian atmosphere. This mission will also be the first time Canada participates in an interplanetary mission. "This is a milestone in the Canadian Space Program and an historic moment for all Canadians," said Dr. Ron Duhamel. "A Canadian experiment is on its way to Mars to study the atmosphere which will help us better understand our own environment. Our expertise in atmospheric research and the excellent reputation of Canadian space scientists has led to this invitation from Japan. This is the first time Canada has sent an instrument as part of an interplanetary mission and its success should lead to more international collaboration with our partners." The Canadian Space Agency is funding this research with the participation of scientists from the University of Calgary, as well as from the Universities of Alberta, Western Ontario, and Victoria. The Co-Principal Investigators of the Canadian Thermal Plasma Analyzer (TPA) are Dr. Andrew Yau and Dr. Greg Garbe, professors of physics and astronomy at the University of Calgary. "The launch of the Canadian probe marks a new chapter in Canadian space exploration," said Dr. Yau. "As the first Canadian instrument to orbit another planet, the TPA sets the stage for Canada's participation in future international planetary missions in the coming millennium." Others on the research team include scientists from Hokkaido, Nagoya, and Tokyo. The Canadian Thermal Plasma Analyzer (TPA) consists of a sensor mounted at the end of a boom and a central Power and Controller Unit inside the satellite. Once the satellite reaches Martian orbit, the boom will unfold and extend the sensor away from the spacecraft. This isolation is necessary in order to ensure that the instrument performs without interference from the spacecraft. "Canada's participation in missions to Mars is a large step toward the future when humans will be going to the Red Planet," said CSA Astronaut Chris Hadfield. "As an astronaut and also as an explorer, I'm proud the Canadian Space Agency is involved in this global exploration of Mars and am very excited by the important data this probe will send back to Canadians and the world." This international interplanetary exploration mission is sponsored by Japan's Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences with instrumentation from Canada, Japan, Sweden, Germany, and the United States. Participation in this mission provides Canadian researchers with the data from all the other experiments on Planet-B.