SCISAT in numbers - Infographic

Infographic showing statistics on SCISAT, a small Canadian satellite that monitors ozone in the stratosphere and helps scientists improve their understanding of ozone depletion. (Credit: Canadian Space Agency)

This infographic shows numbers on SCISAT, a small Canadian satellite that monitors ozone in the stratosphere and helps scientists improve their understanding of ozone depletion, with a special emphasis on the changes occurring over Canada and in the Arctic.

Here are the numbers and the explanations:

• Launch in 2003. The satellite was launched on August 12, 2003.
• 74° inclination. In order to collect data over a large part of the Canadian Arctic, SCISAT orbits Earth at an angle of 74° in relation to the equator.
• 2 instruments. Equipped with two optical instruments, SCISAT measures the distribution of gas species in Earth's atmosphere.
• 34 publications per year. SCISAT data is found in 34 scientific journal articles per year on average.
• 450 institutions. About 450 institutions worldwide have been involved in publications related to SCISAT.
• 70 trace gases. SCISAT measures more gases than any other space-based instrument in the world.
• 15 orbits per day. SCISAT completes an orbit every 95 minutes or so, meaning that it circles Earth about 15 times per day.
• Altitude of 650 km. SCISAT orbits Earth at an altitude of 650 km.

6316 solar occultations per year on average. SCISAT experiences many sunrises and sunsets in a day. At those times, it takes various measurements using the Sun’s rays passing through Earth's atmosphere. This technique is called solar occultation.