New radar to study space- from Resolute Bay.

A space science research station will go in Resolute Bay, thanks to $10 million that Eric Donovan, a space physicist from the University of Calgary, received last week from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation’s New Initiatives Fund.

His “Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar” will allow scientists like Donovan to study the area between the Earth’s atmosphere and space, sometimes referred to as the “edge of space.”

“This radar station will enable cutting-edge research for decades to come. It will push back the boundaries of human knowledge,” said Donovan in a news release from University of Calgary.

Donovan said the radar will help to improve satellite and aircraft communication, as well as navigation systems. The radar will also look at the impact of space weather on climate change.

When the radar station is completed in the fall of 2010, physicists will be able to operate it long-distance from Calgary, through satellite and internet connections.

Photographic and GPS equipment will also be put in Cambridge Bay, Taloyoak and Qikiqtarjuaq to complement the information from the radar.