Grants and Contributions

(20STDPK05) GHGSat will provide experimental payload capacity on GHGSat constellation mission satellites to enable transformative innovations for GHGSat and its Canadian partners.

The proposed project will define the resources and interfaces available for experimental payloads on GHGSat constellation mission satellites. GHGSat will then evaluate and down-select one of three different experimental payloads. The down-selected payload will be manufactured, assembled, integrated and tested for flight. Finally, GHGSat will develop a roadmap for down-selecting additional experimental payloads for other GHGSat constellation mission satellites.

(20STDPK11) Advanced spacecraft antenna technologies are needed in order to deliver high-throughput, low-cost, and reliable connectivity services from satellites. Over the years, substantial advancements have been made towards antennas for use in traditional geostationary satellites. These are employed, for instance, when delivering satellite television or rural broadband services.

However, relatively little advancements have been made on antenna technologies for nanosatellites. Characterized as low-cost, rapid to develop, and rapid to deploy, nanosatellites can offer novel connectivity services, but are hindered by limited advancements in underlying antenna technologies.

This project will seek to develop a novel Ku-band antenna for use on Kepler's nanosatellite constellation. The impact of this technology will be to improve permissible data throughput and reduce the cost of delivering Kepler's connectivity services.

(20STDPK21) As the commercial small-sat market grows, new affordable systems are needed to maintain high-performance communication links between launch vehicles, satellites, and data relay systems. As such, C6 Launch Systems has designed, built, and tested a prototype phased-array and transceiver system that allows spacecraft to electronically steer radio beams towards earth and space-based stations to provide high-performance data links. This project elevates the technology readiness level (TRL) of the phased-array and transceiver system through design enhancements, scale-up and laboratory qualification tests.

This project will facilitate performance improvements on the C6 Launch vehicle and unveil the technologies as a revolutionary phased-array and transceiver technology for launch vehicles and nanosatellites, thereby, positioning Canadian industry as trailblazers.

(20STDPL01) A force moment sensor provides a robotic arm with sense of payload resistance. The space environment is particularly difficult, for a variety of reasons: extreme thermal environment, large payloads on long robotic arm, capture of free flyers.

This stage of our work in developing a sensor drift free sensor is to provide a simulator, in parallel with hardware development. There is much advanced work in AI and controls which needs the characteristics of such a sensor, before it needs the actual hardware. So as we progress in experimental development, we are updating the simple matlab simulation which has been developed, initially to reflect analytical characteristics developed from earlier prototype responses, now being updated to reflect measured characteristics of 3rd prototype. In particular to reflect test results of the low torsion loads.

This simulator will be used to try and optimize the calibration testing needed for continued prototype testing.

Robotic control for the Lunar Gateway Station will be heavily dependent of force sensing, because of bandwidth limitations and because it will be under autonomous operation for most of each year.

The project will demonstrate that a pointing mirror can be used to simultaneously reduce the detection threshold, increase coverage and increase capacity of the Wide Angle Fabry-Perot (WAF-P) spectrometer.
The project will define requirements, develop a design, then build and test an engineering model of the pointing mirror. The project builds on strong heritage from GHGSat for the WAF-PI, ABB for the pointing mirror, and Xiphos for onboard processors and related software. If successful, GHGSat intends to fly the pointing mirror as an experimental payload on one of its constellation mission satellites.

(20STDPM01) Space debris is becoming a growing and ever more present issue as low Earth orbit continues to become populated with an increasing number of satellites and other objects each year.

Currently, there exists no established methods or services for actively capturing and removing debris on-orbit. The only methods to avoid collisions are to maneuvers endangered satellites out of possible collisions and to wait for debris to de-orbit and burn up in Earth's atmosphere. This feasibility study is proposing the research and development of novel tether and net technology for the capture and stabilization of unstable and high-risk debris. The system boasts the ability to capture and stabilize debris tumbling about all of its three axes, the ability to capture multiple objects in a single mission, and to change the altitude of captured debris to remove them from the operational orbits of other satellites.

(20STDPM02) This project will perform a feasibility study of how to develop and produce high frequency beamforming integrated circuits (ICs) for phased array antennas for small satellites. These electrically steerable antennas utilized in satellites have the potential to enable high-throughput, low-cost, and low-latency connectivity services. Implementing such steerable antennas as ICs can alleviate the high cost of RF components such that the per-component cost is greatly reduced.

Cortex Designs is undertaking a comprehensive export development initiative to enhance brand awareness and secure international sales for its recently launched Lumatone isomorphic keyboard from the US and German markets.

Develop marketing tools for geotargeted promotional campaign and secure influencer collaborations in 5 markets to increase export sales via heightened brand and product awareness, including new digital content subscription.

Dura Undercushions Ltd is a company specialized in the manufacturing of high performance acoustic membranes. It is aiming for growth outside of Quebec in Taiwan.