Grants and Contributions

This project aims to investigate the effects of artificial gravity in preventing the consequences of bedrest on vertebral fat fraction and Achilles tendon integrity. The team will conduct a human spaceflight analogue through bedrest. This research could have broad implications for health care on Earth, since bedridden patients also face deterioration of bone, muscles and tendons.

The PREWAVES-Patterns project aims to develop and test new space metal fuel instruments, and validate those instruments in low-gravity parabolic flights. This project will ensure that the Canadian team can take part in the sounding rocket launch during the TEXUS 56/57 missions, as well as well as support the development of metal fuels as a zero-carbon energy solution consistent with a future low-carbon society.

The Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) technique provides insight on certain surface conditions. Making use of freely-available GNSS signal reflections over land for remote sensing would represent a significant step forward. This project aims to develop a prototype GNSS-R receiver capable of making customizable surface reflection measurements from space to measure surface soil moisture content and variation, using signals from the many GNSS satellites currently in orbit.

The CALASET-II project aims to design, build and test innovative instruments to measure concentrations of atmospheric trace gases as function of height. These new instruments will allow identification and quantification of specific gases, such as carbon dioxide, and help verify measurements obtained from the satellites that observe Earth's atmosphere.

Modern planetary rovers and orbital instruments generate multiple data products. However, data transmission capacity from space to Earth is currently limited. This can result in observations not being made and experiments not being performed because there is no bandwidth available to get the data back to Earth. In order to maximize the return from field explorations, rovers and satellites of the future will need the ability to make independent decisions about what to explore and transmit preliminary analyses of data to Earth.

This project aims to develop and field test algorithms and systems for autonomous scientific investigation. The techniques developed will also enhance terrestrial applications in agriculture, infrastructure monitoring and mining.

The MAPLE project aims to advance the development of a small panoramic camera system developed for spaceflight and intended to be used to investigate the Martian atmosphere from the surface. The instrument will be enhanced in order to allow the MAPLE system to examine the vertical distribution of dust and ice aerosols near the surface and to constrain the size and shape of these particles. As our models of the Martian environment are derived from terrestrial weather forecasting models, proper validation at Mars will improve the accuracy and timeliness of weather forecasting on Earth.

The objective of this grant is to support the science team in charge of a JWST (James Webb Space Telescope) Guaranteed Time Observation program aimed at studying massive clusters of galaxies.

This project aims to fully develop a technology to monitor cardiovascular health of astronauts with zero-effort. Coded Hemodynamic Imaging is a novel, non-contact method of tracking measures of human health and well-being by pairing machine learning algorithms with wide-field imaging by a camera system capable of processing light from the visible and near infrared spectra. In addition to facilitating future space exploration, this technology has potential applications to a wide range of human health conditions on Earth which could benefit from zero-effort, continuous monitoring of cardiovascular health.

Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) support a wide range of civilian and military applications and have become indispensable in precise positioning and time keeping. As our society depends increasingly on space technologies, and as our environment affects our daily life more than ever before, solar-terrestrial interactions and their impact on the geo-space environment have become increasingly relevant to Canada's economy and society. Understanding these interactions will enable us to predict and forecast space weather and subsequently mitigate detrimental effects on communication and navigation technologies and other infrastructure.

This project aims to develop a GNSS scintillation forecasting capability for high latitudes and ultimately provide alerts and warnings to clients and the general public, when and where GNSS availability or position accuracy may be significantly compromised due to space weather events.

Multisensor Value-Added Products and Services from Satellite Temporal Series Analysis (MUSES)
The MUSES project is aimed at providing institutional users with powerful processing chains capable of managing and manipulating short or near real time multi-sensor data and operational products and services thanks to an interoperable platform.