Grants and Contributions

Developing the foundations of metal–oxygen combustion technology for space propulsion and energy storage is the focus of the current proposal and is also linked to a broader goal of advancing metals as carbon-free carriers of clean energy on Earth. This project proposes to analyze experimental data from a space sounding rocket experiment, tentatively scheduled for launch in 2027 from Esrange Space Center in Kiruna (Sweden), and to direct the experiment’s progression in real time through ground-to-space telemetry. In addition, the project will complement the flight mission through a range of ground-based experiments conducted on various metal flames and will test a novel concept for deorbiting debris from Earth and lunar orbits (by inducing deceleration within a large, low-density cloud of nano-oxide particles generated through metal combustion) through a proof-of-concept experiment.

This DDT project targets the active M dwarf K2-384, which hosts five transiting planets. During July 10-11, 2025, three planets will transit sequentially within 13 hours, allowing JWST/NIRSpec-PRISM spectroscopy to isolate stellar contamination and model stellar heterogeneity. The data will constrain K2-384f’s atmospheric composition and support development of new retrieval models, improving JWST strategies for studying planets around active M dwarfs.

This project will produce the most precise 3D temperature map of an exoplanet to date using JWST/NIRSpec eclipse mapping of the ultra-hot Jupiter KELT-20b. Sensitive to water and CO emission, the observations will probe horizontal and vertical temperature structure, revealing how stellar energy is redistributed and how molecular dissociation shapes the atmosphere. The results will also constrain the planet’s C/O and refractory-to-volatile ratios, which are key tracers of its formation and migration.

This project will use JWST/NIRSpec and MIRI/MRS to obtain the first spectroscopic study of an auroral-emitting extrasolar world – the cold brown dwarf WISEP J1935-1546. Building on prior methane emission detections, the observations will search for CH4, H3+ and NH3+ features and test whether the emissions arise from a thermal inversion or magnetic interactions. The results will link planetary, substellar and exoplanetary atmospheric processes, demonstrating JWST’s unique reach for such faint targets.

This project aims to elucidate cosmic dawn and the dark ages through observations of the radio sky with two custom-built telescopes in the Canadian high Arctic: the Mapper of the Intergalactic medium Spin Temperature (MIST) and the Array of Long Baseline Antennas for Taking Radio Observations from the Seventy-ninth parallel (ALBATROS). These telescopes will advance scientific knowledge while simultaneously serving as platforms for prototyping instrumentation and measurement techniques for future space missions. The project objectives focus on in-depth calibration tests using MIST and ALBATROS. The resulting deliverables include improved constraints on cosmic dawn and the dark ages, and new techniques for characterizing instrumental effects that arise from environmental interactions.

This project will use JWST/NIRCam to image Epsilon Eridani b; a Jupiter mass object in orbit around one of the closest neighbouring sun-like stars. These images will be further used to determine the planet’s mass and orbit using a newly developed radial velocity and astrometric orbit modelling technique.

This project will use JWST/NIRSpec to reveal how gas flows in and out of an early low-mass galaxy as well as mapping its chemical abundances to search for signs of proto-globular clusters or metal-free gas. By combining JWST’s unparalleled sensitivity with gravitational lensing and an advanced “MSA stepping” technique, this project will achieve ultra-efficient, spatially resolved spectroscopy down to star-cluster scales, at a depth that would otherwise be unfeasible.

This project will use JWST/NIRCam and NIRSpec to discover and study the faintest and most distant galaxies, black holes, stars, and stellar explosions in the early universe. By using the powerful effect of gravitational lensing, this project will reveal over 10-100 times more strongly magnified, early-universe objects than previous surveys.

This project will use JWST/MIRI to study six nebulae that are transiforming into perfect crystals and analyze organic molecules called PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) that reveal the environmental conditions in these stellar nebulae. By comparing the location of the crystals with the PAH-measured conditions, we can finally determine how cosmic crystals form, improving our understanding of planetary formation building blocks.

The objective of this AO is to support Canadian students to participate in national and international space conferences and training events that will offer them the opportunity to learn about and be involved in the latest developments in space science and technology, to develop their professional network, and in some cases, present their research results at the national and international level.