Grants and Contributions

The Canadian Atmospheric Laser Absorption Spectroscopy Experiment Test-bed (CALASET) aims to build a suite of instruments to verify measurements from Earth observing satellites. Ensuring that these space-based instruments are performing well is critical for producing reliable environmental data for Canadians. The CALASET-NXT project goals are two-fold: Develop new technologies for studying the changing atmosphere and providing a validation and verification capability for current and future satellite missions, and provide concept-to-flight education and training for the students who will become the scientists and engineers needed for future satellite missions.

Researchers at the University of Toronto (U of T) have developed a handheld 3D printer for the treatment of severe skin burns and wounds sustained by astronauts during deep-space missions. During the project, the function of an upgraded 3D printer and enhanced bioink will be evaluated during reduced gravity flights about the National Research Council of Canada (NRC)’s Falcon aircraft. In parallel, the ability of enhanced bioink to promote healing and reduce scarring will be confirmed. This work and its findings will bring this technology one step closer to deployment for clinical use in space. The skin printer also has the potential to improve the care and health outcomes associated with severe burns and chronic wounds in hospitals, as well as in rural, remote and Indigenous communities across Canada.

The project aim is to develop innovative space technology, specifically to develop and validate radiation-hardened RISC-V (Reduced Instructions Set Computing) microcontrollers. The microcontroller is based on an open-source RISC-V structure and will be fabricated with a 22nm FDSOI (Fully Depleted Silicon-on-Insulation) CMOS (Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) technology to achieve high-speed and low-power performance. During the development of the project, training of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQPs) will be emphasized. The project targets on developing core radiation tolerance technologies for future spacecraft missions and can improve on-board computing capabilities.

The Canadian federal government has announced that Canada will be a major international partner in the NASA Atmosphere Observing System (AOS) satellite mission through the contribution of a system of three innovative satellite instruments collectively called HAWC (High-altitude Aerosol, Water Vapour and Clouds). One of these three satellite instruments is called SHOW (Spatial Heterodyne Observations of Water). This project aims to develop a dedicated balloon-borne SHOW (Spatial Heterodyne Observations of Water) instrument and demonstrate the utility of this prototype for HAWC satellite mission validation with a test flight on a stratospheric balloon. This project will enable the training of several highly qualified personnel (HQP). SHOW as part of the HAWC Mission will advance understanding of how water vapour is evolving in response to climate change and the impact of that change on weather climate.

The proposed Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) system is a forward-looking initiative with a dual purpose: to enhance satellite communication capabilities and bolster the ability to detect and manage space debris. The main goal is to develop a sophisticated ISAC system that utilizes cutting-edge and dynamic transmitter technologies, allowing efficient spectrum usage and flexibility. Anticipated outcomes include the optimization of transmitter structures, the refinement of communication protocols for dynamic scenarios, and the creation of reliable hardware systems. Simultaneously, the project prioritizes student training, fostering a collaborative and supportive research environment.

The “Innovative Measurements of Auroral Geophysics for Education and Research” (IMAGER) project’s purpose is to demonstrate the capability of a CubeSat-borne mini plasma imager (MPI) to measure ionospheric winds and temperatures for future auroral science and space weather satellite missions, while training Canadian students in the skills needed to invent new scientific instruments and to carry out space physics research. IMAGER’s main objectives are to upgrade the MPI’s charged-particle sensor to increase sample rate and mitigate supply-chain risks; to fly the imager on a suborbital sounding rocket and a CubeSat to prove its measurement performance; to obtain new measurements of ionospheric ion drift and temperature.

Following the JWST ERS and Cycle 2 GO Announcement of Opportunity published on July 6, 2023, the CSA is providing funding via a Grant Agreement to the university to conduct their research using the JWST data.

This project will collect data with NIRISS and NIRSpec for 15 of the most promising water-world candidates. It will provide vital constraints on the existence of water worlds and will allow characterization of the chemical diversity of their atmospheres. The existence of water worlds has important implications for theories of planet formation, and they represent a new regime of atmospheric chemistry that has until now remained uncharted.

Following the JWST ERS and Cycle 2 GO Announcement of Opportunity published on July 6, 2023, the CSA is providing funding via a Grant Agreement to the university to conduct their research using the JWST data.

This project will observe a uniquely hot and dense sub-Neptune exoplanet, TOI-842b, in order to determine its structure and composition. The study will determine if the exoplanet is an exposed Neptune mantle, like Neptune that lacks the large H2 envelope, as well as determine the composition and thermal structure of its atmosphere. These results will obtain one of the deepest understandings of a sub-Neptune planet yet, as well as expand the understanding of sub-Neptune formation.

Our entire technological civilization is based on the discovery by Michael Faraday in the 1830s that a changing magnetic field can generate electricity. Our finely tuned electric generation networks deliver power to homes and industry over vast regions. They are, however, vulnerable to effects associated with auroras, known as space weather. This study of such effects will improve upon existing approaches by including recently discovered unusual magnetic impulses, with unusual auroras, as well as a dense network of magnetic measuring devices near the Hydro-Québec power network. Practical insight as well as foundational knowledge about space weather will result.

This research is to advance understanding of the interaction of the 'atmosphere' of the Sun, which interacts with the upper 'atmosphere' (above 100 km) of the Earth. These interactions cause space weather which may have adverse effects on our modern technology. This research will improve our understanding of how high frequency radio waves propagate through the upper atmosphere or ionosphere. Radio waves are essential for communications in northern Canada and for polar commercial airline flights. Better understanding will minimise adverse effects on radio communications for society through analysing and modelling observations obtained from the Canadian scientific satellite mission ePOP/CASSIOPE/Swarm E.