Grants and Contributions

This project entitled « Reduced gravity flights to examine ExoMars rover wheel-soil interactions » aims at studying the effects of gravity on planetary rover driving performance. The entrapment of the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in soft soil and the tears and punctures in the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover's wheels demonstrate some of the current challenges of roving on Mars.
The project will advance knowledge of how reduced gravity affects wheel-soil interactions for rovers. The terramechanics dataset includes visually capturing soil flow processes below the wheel, contributing to knowledge of regolith geophysical processes in reduced gravity. Better understanding of rover-terrain interactions will have a broad and long-term impact in the field of terramechanics by addressing known problems of using classical approaches in a planetary context. Such advances will also have a broad, long-term impact beyond their field by increasing rover safety and performance, which translates to higher scientific return for future space missions.

This project entitled « On-Orbit Technology Demonstration of Sub-wavelength Antireflection Surface (SWAS) for CubeSat Solar Power Production Increase » from this project, a CubeSat payload will be developed to engineer and test the flight-ready solar power payload, demonstrate the technology on a CubeSat for on-orbit demonstration, and analyze the on-orbit data to validate the performance.
Therefore, the principal technology development activity is to design, characterize and operate a technology-demonstration payload for a CubeSat mission to examine the increase in power production when using an anti-reflection surface on solar cell cover glass.
This new technique has great potential to increase power production without adding mass or volume to the CubeSat. Furthermore, this general technique may be combined with deployable solar arrays, or high-efficiency solar concentrator cells. By demonstrating the on-orbit performance of this made-in-Canada technology, this project aims to enable the CubeSat community to extend their mission capabilities.
Hence, it is likely to be integrated into numerous CubeSats and other small satellite missions where surface areas are limited for solar panels. Consequently, the commercialization of this technology is also a likely outcome, as the proposed technology presents a low-cost solution for high-demand applications for the small satellite community.
They will also work closely with the mission team in Germany to gain valuable experience in working with international collaborators for an end-to-end project.

This project entitled « The Aniu Experiment » the Aniu Experiment aims to validate and calibrate two cameras for use in detecting frosts in permanently shadowed regions near the South Pole of the Moon. For such environments, the principal source of light is starlight in the far ultraviolet part of the spectrum and it is the reflection of this starlight, detected in the Aniu Cameras, which will guide future rovers exploring this region to the ices they seek, as once the aboriginal peoples of the eastern Arctic navigated to find “snow used to make water” (from the Inuktitut: Aniu).
This project will achieve a deeper understanding of Lyman-α region imaging instruments to advance the technology required to produce a camera capable of detecting exposures of water ice on the moon.
The technology and techniques developed during this project have a high likelihood of being used on a lunar prospecting mission to the PSRs, should Canada decide to contribute an instrument.

This project entitled «Demonstration of Technologies for Quantum Communications Space Networks» the objective is to demonstrate technologies for quantum communications space networks, advancing TRL and training HQP for technologies relevant to QEYSSat (Quantum Encryption and Science Satellite). This project aims to examine the sensitivity of single photon detectors to radiation. The development of strategies to mitigate detector noise induced by the space radiation environment will have broad impact both to existing optical sensing applications and to the nascent quantum communications industry.
A main focus of the project will be the mitigation of radiation damage to avalanche photodiode (APD) and the key objective of this task is to develop the optical and electronic components of a laser-annealing apparatus suitable for operation on a spacecraft. Testing is targeted to be conducted in low-Earth orbit as part of the USIP-Illinois cubesat mission.

This project entitled « Detection and Assessment of Microbial Biosignatures in Basalts by UV Raman spectroscopy and Direct Analysis » will ascertain whether there is evidence that life on Mars requires understanding of the signatures life creates and the development of ways to detect these ""biosignatures“. Lava flows in the Snake River Plain of Idaho and the Rift Zones in Hawaii represent analogues to basalts on modern and ancient Mars. The project will add new knowledge and develop Canadian expertise in space science via the analogue studies examining microbial populations in volcanic terrains on Earth and how they relate to the geochemical and geological conditions, precisely it will answer the questions how biomarker types and amounts correlate with geochemical conditions (e.g. mineralogy, texture) within the basalts and how their presence and preservation is related to interactions with water. Results will demonstrate the application of Raman spectroscopy for biosignature detection and inform sample site selection for future Mars missions.
This project aims at helping to identify other potential habitable environments on other planets.

This project entitled « Sounding Rocket Flight to Explore Percolating Reactive Waves » will utilize a European sounding rocket (MAXUS 9) to examine reactive waves propagating through suspension of particles. The project aims to transfer expertise developed at McGill University in flame propagation in a suspensions to a space-rated flight experiment, including the development of novel techniques and diagnostics for creating and characterizing particulate suspensions in microgravity. Upon successful completion of the flight in 2016, the experimental data generated will be analyzed and modeled
The project will utilize the PerWaves experiment that will fly on MAXUS 9 to demonstrate unambiguously, for the first time, the existence of a reactive wave propagation regime that is controlled by the discreteness of the reactive media. It is anticipated that the new technology that is developed to address these challenges will find wider application because the creation of well-characterized dust suspensions and diagnostic tools to quantify concentration and uniformity of dust in terrestrial and space-based environments is a general problem that the new capabilities deriving from this project will be able to address.

This project entitled « Volcanic analogue mission for planetary exploration (VAMPE) » the Volcanic Analogue Mission for Planetary Exploration (VAMPE) will use volcanic terrains on Earth as analogue sites for the testing of new techniques for the future human and robotic exploration of the solar system. Volcanism is a common process on many worlds in our solar system, and can teach us much about the origin, structure, and evolution of our planetary neighbours. The goal of the project will be to test new scientific instrumentation in a variety of volcanic terrains at Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho, immersing participants in real life science and operations scenarios.
This project will address objectives related to Planetary Exploration specifically, it will focus on the Planetary Geology and Geophysics objective by addressing questions related to the origin and evolution of volcanic terrains on terrestrial planets.

This project entitled « MAGnetometer Integrating Controlled Attitude with Low-noise Science (MAGICALS) » the MAGnetometer Integrating Controlled Attitude with Low-noise Science (MAGICALS) team will design, develop, test and validate an innovative integrated attitude actuation and scientific magnetic monitoring subsystem, for cube and nanosatellite applications. Miniaturizing subsystems is critical to the future utilisation of space for Canadian benefit. MAGICALS will address challenges of accurate maneuvering, essential for Earth observation and other applications. It will open the door to constellation class nanosatellite missions by enabling low noise magnetic measurements by cube satellites.

This project entitled « Innovative Versatile Optical Fiber Sensors Suite for Space Applications » consists of developing new sensors for the monitoring of high temperature and material erosion that are common during the launch and the re-entry of space vehicle.

This project entitled «Astrobiology Training in Lava Tubes (ATILT)» will provide realistic science training in lava tube caves that are high fidelity analogs of Mars lava tubes. In the project, instruments will be used to remotely locate and characterize lava tube caves, to identify and characterize secondary minerals and ice inside the caves, and to identify cold-adapted microbial communities and microbial biosignatures. This project is critical to developing a mission to explore Martian lava tubes.
The study of basaltic caves and lava tubes on Earth informs us about the diversity and resilience of microbial life and how traces of such life are recorded in mineral deposits that could have formed on Mars. By analogy, basaltic caves on Mars may contain a record of secondary mineralization providing precious information on past aqueous activity. Such caves may also provide the best evidence for past life in the form of biomarkers (chemical, isotopic or morphogenic) preserved in the cave minerals. Where they exist, lava cave may be a key target for possible life on all rocky solar system objects.