What is Canada’s future in space?

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced earlier this year that it would be adding a new robotic camera-based monitoring system onto the International Space Station (ISS). But if you think that’s all Canada’s space-minded scientists and engineers have been up to lately, you’re in for a surprise.

The advanced vision system, about the size of a microwave oven, is made up of a 3D laser, a high‑definition camera and an infrared camera that will help the astronauts on board the ageing orbiting laboratory reveal potential small meteorite damage on the outer hull that could otherwise be invisible to the human eye. Instead of sending astronauts on risky spacewalks, some of their more routine inspections and maintenance duties could be carried out by this new system when it launches in 2020. And in addition to these routine inspections, the camera system could play a vital role in assisting with what is expected to be an increasingly busy schedule of private and government spacecraft coming in to dock.

[Artist’s rendering of the advanced space vision system being developed for the ISS. / CSA]

While not as attention-grabbing as spacewalking astronauts or robots flying through the solar system, it is mission critical contributions like this that keep NASA and other space agencies looking to Canada as a vital partner in a wide variety of space programs.

Canada has a long legacy dating back more than three decades in space robotic systems, going back to the original series of robotic Canadarms outfitted with each of NASA’s space shuttles. These iconic technologies were fundamental to successfully carrying out satellite repairs, including all of the in-orbit Hubble Space Telescope repairs, and the construction of the International Space Station.

“The reason for all our successes in space is because we have always managed to develop key technologies and have the ability to develop commercial markets with those technologies right here down on Earth,” explained Gillles Leclerc, Director of Space Exploration at the Canadian Space Agency in an interview with Yahoo Canada News.

“Now we have plans to participate in the next steps of space exploration using what will be Canadarm3, which could be used on an outpost around the moon, and used on other deep space missions like to asteroids too.”

[1990-04-25 - The Canadarm grapples the Hubble Space Telescope from the payload bay of Space Shuttle Discovery to place it into orbit. / NASA/CSA]

Canada currently does have an invitation from NASA to participate in their Asteroid Retrieval Mission (ARM) scheduled for mid-2020s, which proposes to visit a nearby asteroid and haul it, or at least part of it, back into orbit around the Moon, and study it there.

For now the idea is to develop this next generation Canadarm (a.k.a. Canadarm3, and demonstrate its novel telescopic abilities in low Earth orbit on the ISS. But because of its inherent flexible design and Canada’s committed participation on the ISS until 2024, the CSA believes that the Canadarm3 may be perfectly suited for duty aboard any deep space mission that includes humans.

The maple leaf has already been seen on a variety of high profile missions, especially to Mars, in the past decade, in the form of a novel weather station on NASA’ Phoenix mission to the planet’s polar region, along with the rock chemical analyzer instruments called a spectrometer or APXS, that sits on the end of the robotic arm on the currently running Opportunity and Mars Curiosity rovers.

[On May 26, 2008, the Phoenix Mars Lander beamed back the first image of the word “Canada” displayed prominently on the side of the lidar instrument, part of the Canadian-built meteorology station that probed Mars’s weather and climate throughout the mission, studying clouds, fog and dust in the lower atmosphere. / NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A&M University/CSA]

Destination Asteroid

Now, the Canadian space community is gearing up to participate in an exciting robotic mission to an asteroid called Bennu. Canada is partnering with NASA on its audacious OSIRIS-REx (Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer) mission - the first U.S.-led probe that plans on returning a sample from an asteroid. Canada is providing the vital laser-based system called the Laser Altimeter (OLA).

Bennu is 500 meter wide and regularly crosses Earth’s orbit, posing a threat of collision with Earth. In fact some calculations indicate that it may have a 1-in-1,800 chance of hitting in the year 2182.

[This artist’s concept depicts NASA’s OSIRIS-REx probe nearing asteroid Bennu, ready to use its Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) to gathers specimens of the space rock for shipment back to Earth. / NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona]

The Canadian-built OLA will create unprecedented 3D maps of Bennu, the likes of which have never been seen on any planetary mission before. This data will be invaluable to planetary scientists trying to unlock the mysteries surrounding the evolution of asteroids and the solar system in general. OLA will also be mission critical since it will be measuring the giant rock’s shape and topography in order to help the mission team select a safe site from which to collect a sample. The big return on investment for Canada will be that the CSA will own a portion of the returned sample, which will be studied by Canadian scientists.

The spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at the asteroid in late 2018 and return samples back to Earth in 2023.

Final Frontier

Obviously robotics is not the only type of contribution that could represent the next stepping-stone for Canada’s lofty space goals for the future.

Canada has attained a leadership role in space navigation systems too, involving precision optical technologies, which could be used in deep space missions.

“If we can demonstrate that this laser altimeter on this upcoming asteroid mission is a great tool to approach and study an asteroid, it would be considered a natural building block for a human mission,” explained Leclerc.

A follow-up to what we see on the ISS vision system and OSIRIS-REx mission could be put on an outpost orbiting the moon or on its surface. A sort of space traffic control system, it would help approaching vehicles berth outposts anywhere in the solar system.

Also in the works are designs for medical monitoring and diagnostic technologies that would be critical on long duration spaceflights that will require autonomy of crews traveling 10s and 100s of millions of kilometers away from Earth.

“If you look at the astronaut as a patient, doctors are only a few hours away when you look at the time it takes to get from the ground to the space station. If we move to the moon, that time frame becomes a few days, and if you look at missions to Mars you are looking at many months,” said LeClerc.

“We are looking at what we have learned here around the Earth and are thinking ahead at what the next steps are in exploration,” he said.

Community Concerns

Not everyone in the Canadian space community, however, are as optimistic about the future.

Some Canadian scientists like Gordon Orsinksi, Acting Director of the Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration at University of Western Ontario, believe the nation’s role in future expansion of space exploration may be a bit more clouded and uncertain than what LeClerc describes.

“Canada has lacked a long-term space plan for a number of years now and the Canadian Space Agency has gone through several years of budget cuts and multiple presidents, which have both resulted in a reduction in Canadian space exploration activities,” explained Osinksi in an interview with Yahoo Canada News.

[Canadian scientists continue to be involved in the space community internationally, like Osinksi’s involvement with the ExoMars mission – rover prototype ‘Bruno’ pictured here – but much of the work is being done outside of the country. / Press Association.]

Osinksi, who is a mission scientists on the upcoming European-led ExoMars rover mission, acknowledges that Canada has had major scientific and technological achievements and successes in partnering on NASA-led missions, like the Mars Curiosity rover and the upcoming OSIRIS-Rex mission, but what he finds worrisome is that there will be no maple leaf associated on NASA’s next rover mission to the Red Planet in 2020, nor other NASA Discovery missions.

“There will be no Canadian contribution on those missions, which is devastating for the Canadian space community, and the next opportunity for a space exploration mission is NASA New Frontiers call, which includes potential missions to the Moon, asteroids, and Venus, all with a potential Canadian payload and science contribution.”

Orsinksi would like Canada to take advantage of every opportunity presented but with a stagnant budget for years from the federal government – which with inflation and yearly small cuts on top of the drastic cuts a few years back – all this may make it quite challenging to maintain our leadership role.

“Canada spends way less on space than any other of the main space nations and we must rectify this if we want Canada to continue to play a role in the exploration of space,” he added.

Currently the Canadian Space Agency annual budget stands just under CDN$400 million – a tiny fraction of the estimated 2016 NASA budget of USD$19.3 billion. While the numbers are sobering, it is amazing how much Canada has accomplished in leveraging our partnerships in missions and where it hopes to go next.

Ticket to Ride

Some of the biggest return on investments from exploring space include developing new technologies, creating new jobs and attracting the next generation of researchers, but arguably the most publicly visible and coveted contributions for Canada will include snagging seats for its astronauts onboard any mission to the moon, asteroid or Mars.

To date it’s been a pay-to-play system that has been negotiated between the CSA, NASA and its partners, and it’s all about getting a proportional return on our investment.

“Obviously we are a relatively small participant but our goal here is to contribute key, critical systems and technologies that make us a valued partner and in return for that we can negotiate for flights for Canadians onboard these exciting future missions,” said Leclerc.

The last Canadian astronaut in space was Col. Chris Hadfield, who was also the first Canuck to walk in space and command the ISS in 2013. The next flights for Canada’s active astronauts, David St. Jacques and Jeremy Hansen, will be to the ISS in 2018 and 2023.

[Canadian astronauts David Saint-Jacques (at left) and Jeremy Hansen join Canadian Space Agency president Walter Natynczyk (at right) and Royal Canadian Mint board member John Bell for the unveiling of a silver coin celebrating the space agency. / SPACE.com]

Canada has demonstrated that it is a very reliable partner, and that counts, says Leclerc. He says he hopes we will become an even more integral partner with other agencies with our proven track record. All of these contributions becoming a stepping stone for the ultimate goal of having human missions to Mars.

“Throughout the ISS program we accumulated credits for flights for our astronauts to the ISS. Now in terms of a human deep space missions, Canada is looking in return for our contributions, flights for our Canadian astronauts, just like what was arranged with our contribution of robotics to the space shuttle and ISS programs,” explained Leclerc.

And so as the CSA prepare for the next steps in human exploration, hopes are high that they would be able to negotiate with NASA for tickets to ride to any future destinations beyond low Earth orbit, in return for the technologies and science that Canada brings to the table.

“How many flights will we get, and ultimately will there be a Canadian on the fist missions to Mars?” asked Leclerc. “These are big questions but if we aren’t a player and don’t contribute then we don’t get that return.”