Grants and Contributions

This project will advance a made-in-Canada handheld bioprinting system (INSITE), engineered to treat severe skin injuries in space and in remote environments where conventional surgical care is unavailable. The device enables the operator to print thin, bioactive layers directly onto wounds, accelerating healing while reducing scarring, pain, and donor-site morbidity. The project includes the validation of INSITE’s performance in microgravity aboard Virgin Galactic’s Delta spacecraft flight and will involve developing direct-use cryopreserved bioinks that eliminate the need for on-orbit culture. Deliverables include a flight-tested handheld bioprinter, validated cryopreserved bioinks, and standard operating procedures for suborbital use.

This project develops autonomous technologies to help spacecraft safely navigate around the Moon by detecting nearby objects and monitoring surface changes without needing constant contact with Earth. As lunar activity increases, particularly on the far side of the Moon, spacecraft must independently identify artificial objects, natural debris, and changes on the surface caused by meteoroid impacts. The first activity focuses on detecting recent surface changes using variations in albedo captured by onboard sensors. The second analyzes how both natural and artificial objects reflect sunlight, enabling spacecraft to determine their position, motion, and mass properties. The third activity creates 3D models of the lunar environment to define potential logical spaces, digital zones representing future landing sites, exploration areas, or infrastructure. These models help spacecraft understand their surroundings and support planning for long-term lunar operations. Altogether, the project advances safe, autonomous operations in cislunar space and supports sustainable development around the Moon.

Rock chemistries and micro-textures resolvable by the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) instrument onboard the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover allow integrated rock histories to be resolved. The science objectives of this proposal focus on different rock components, including (1) igneous starting materials, (2) secondary salts and alteration products, (3) dust and coatings that accumulate at the Mars surface. Key to understanding the history is the Mineralogical make up, grain size and shape, rock cements cementing agents. This project addresses these possible contributions (dust, igneous precursor, and secondary alteration) to rock compositions analyzed by the Mars 2020 rover in Jezero Crater by micro-textural geochemical and mineralogical data. These studies will aid in achieving the Mars 2020 mission goals of assessing the Jezero rocks for potential habitability and to aid in sample selection.

Astronauts return from space with anemia but the mechanisms causing anemia are not known. During longer space missions to the Gateway, Moon or Mars, astronauts must stay safe from severe anemia. This project aims to address outstanding questions on the mechanism of space anemia. Distinctively, this project will access astronauts taking part in both private as well as space administration missions. Using cryopreserved whole blood samples collected from three international space missions, this project will investigate the subpopulation of hemolyzed red blood cells, hemoglobin gene-switching, specific red blood cell anomalies, and the dose-dependent effects of radiation on space anemia, all using state-of-the-art methods often applied for the first time to space samples.

The Artemis and Lunar Gateway programs have near-term objectives that involve conducting science/research unique to their deep space location, including investigation of the heliosphere and solar wind, space weather, as well as the Lunar plasma environment. Additionally, Canadian Space Strategy objectives include improving the understanding of solar storms and their effects on astronauts and terrestrial infrastructure.

Congress of Aboriginal Peoples Initial Views on the Review of the Canada Water Act and the Development of a National Water Security Strategy

NASA's Pandora mission is a pioneering astrophysics project designed to study the atmospheres of at least 20 exoplanets and their host stars. Selected as part of NASA's inaugural call for Pioneer mission concepts, Pandora is a small satellite mission slated to launch in early 2026. The mission's primary objective is to disentangle the atmospheric signals of distant planets from the light of their parent stars. To achieve this, Pandora will conduct long-duration observations, using a 0.45-meter telescope to simultaneously capture visible and near-infrared light from star systems as planets transit. This multiwavelength approach will allow scientists to better understand stellar activity and its impact on exoplanet atmosphere measurements, identifying elements like hydrogen and water or the presence of clouds. The data gathered by Pandora will complement observations from the James Webb Space Telescope, enhancing the search for habitable worlds.

The HAWC Sampler and Emulator for CanESM (HAWC-SEC) is software that extracts synthetic data that mimics HAWC observations from climate simulations with the Canadian Earth System Model. It also samples the model data mimicking pre-launch observational campaigns, such as ground-based or aircraft-based measurements.

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.

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.