Academic News
The High Precision Telescope (HPT) is a joint project of National Central Univiersity and two Japanese universities, namely, Tohoku University and Hokkaido University. It is the main payload of the RISESAT scientific microsatellite mission. The 50-kg satellite was launched successfully into a sun-synchronous orbit by an Epsilon rocket of JAXA on January 18, this year, to carry out Earth and astronomical observations.
With rapid advances in the electronic components and miniaturization, microsatellites have become more and more popular because of their low costs and fast time schedules. As a consequence of their increasing capabilities as test beds of new instruments and technology and educational platforms, microsatellites have become a key element in scientific research, environmental monitoring and space commerce.
According to Professor Wing-Huen Ip of the Institute of Astronomy, the weight of HPT is only 3 kg. With an aperture of 10 cm, its diffusion limit is 1.5” thus allowing a ground resolution of about 3 m. Its hyperspectral capability is another important feature. For Earth observations, the initial scientific objectives would be for measurements of the aerosol distribution, vegetation, and environmental changes. In the case of astronomical observations, bright stars and planets from the northern to southern would be potential targets. It is expected that NCU astronomical programs at the Lulin Observatory will be further enriched with the addition of RISESAT observations.
