Powerful thunderstorms rage across the Prairies. Will they spawn damaging tornadoes, and if so, where? Blizzard conditions threaten to shut down the Greater Toronto Area, possibly for days, but who will be hardest hit? A hurricane approaches Atlantic Canada, packing devastating winds and heavy rain. Will it make landfall at high-tide, making its impacts even worse? These questions would be difficult or impossible to answer if we did not have satellites imaging our weather from space. I have always looked up at the night sky in wonder, but after studying meteorology I learned to appreciate space for more than just its splendor. Once a disjointed practice which was only relevant to a forecaster’s immediate area, weather forecasting has advanced significantly due to our access to space.  GOES-16, one of the most advanced geostationary weather satellites in operation, snapped this ‘full disk’ image of the western hemisphere on October 29, 2019.  (Credit: NOAA) GOES-16 tracks a violent, tornadic supercell thunderstorm in the Texas Panhandle, on May 5, 2019. The colours in this animation/image represent cloud-top temperatures, with reds being the coldest temperatures, and thus showing the tallest clouds.  (Credit: NOAA) GOES-16, one of the most advanced geostationary weather satellites in operation, snapped this ‘full disk’ image of the western hemisphere on October 29, 2019.  (Credit: NOAA) Launching satellites suddenly empowered us to be “outside, looking in”, to see an entire hemisphere’s weather, all at once. More powerful, still, we can track how weather moves and better see large-scale patterns, to improve our ability to forecast the future. Couple this with providing day-to-day comparisons of our ecosystems, satellites have allowed us to gather crucial evidence of the impacts of global warming and climate change. Without those “eyes in the sky”, we would be years – possibly decades – behind our current knowledge of the climate crisis, and we may have only realized the dangers when it was far too late. This is why space matters so much. Weather and climate change impact us all, and with Canada seeing more than its fair share of impacts from both, it is crucial that we continue our commitments to both developing new space technologies and to participating in space missions. The information we gather from space can literally save us from disaster. Scott Sutherland He is a meteorologist and science writer with The Weather Network, where he reports on weather, climate change, astronomy and human space... Read more

“It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world.” – Carl Sagan Whenever I speak to an audience, I ask them how many stars they can see in their night sky. In small town Ontario, the answer ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand. In larger cities, the answer is typically one hundred or less. This simple question captures how humans have diminished our connection to the night sky as we continue to give more attention to technology and flock to urban centres. The pale blue dot image reminds us that we are simply a tiny world in a vast empty darkness. It can be scary to think about at first. However, the more thought you give to it the more you feel a connection to the whole world, not as one part of a country or ethnicity, but as a human being, part of a collection of 8.7 million species, trying to survive and grow and learn while sharing responsibility for our home. Ryan Marciniak He is an astronomer and science communicator. He travels across Ontario with two inflatable planetariums with his company Astronomy in Action, delivering programs and experiences to schools, community groups, and the public.   When I show the true night sky to audiences in my planetariums, the response is one of awe and wonder, similar to the feelings the night sky evoked in our ancestors for thousands of years. It shows us how vast and beautiful the universe is. The planetarium can then take the audience a step farther, venturing out into this night sky, flying around Earth, past the Moon, Sun, and stars, and then travelling farther out of the Milky Way to distant galaxies, showing the immense scale of the cosmos. The audience leaves feeling reconnected to the universe, with a new perspective on the Earth. The planetarium is just one medium for reestablishing this connection, a digital substitute for the real night sky that is becoming harder to find in urban sprawl, not just in Southern Ontario, but around the world. As humans face greater global challenges, it is becoming more important to approach them with a shared responsibility.  Space changes our perspective, reminding us of this shared responsibility. This is why space matters. Visitors experience the night sky in the planetarium (Credit: Astronomy in Action) Visitors experience the night sky in the planetarium (Credit: Astronomy in Action) Earth, described by scientist Carl Sagan as a "Pale Blue Dot," as seen by Voyager 1 from a distance of more than 6.4 billion kilometers. (Credit:... Read more

The Glacier at Lake Louise (Credit:Harvey Barrison, Creative Commons  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Glacier_at_Lake_Louisein_the_Canadian_Rockies.jpg) As population growth, globalization and climate change make our world increasingly complex, our knowledge of the Earth becomes more valuable with each passing day. Geosciences already play a central role in making Canada and the world safer and more productive. They help prevent landslides on British Columbia’s Sea to Sky highway, forecast droughts in the Prairie Provinces, measure sea-ice loss in Canada’s North, and make sense of the complex environmental systems of the Great Lakes, which contain one-fifth of the world’s fresh water supply and produce over $7.5 trillion in gross domestic product (GDP). But, studying the Earth comes with a built-in obstacle. We only have one! Sample size is a key part of good science. Imagine being tasked to learn everything you could about dogs, but having only your pet corgi to do it with! Humans are pretty smart; they can deduce a lot from a single sample. But if inexplicably your Corgi’s favourite snack was broccoli, could you reasonably assume the same for all dogs? Jake Robins Jake Robins is a Vancouver-based space fan and science communicator. He hosts the WeMartians and Off-Nominal Podcasts, spends his weekends hiking, and can’t stop thinking about Mars. This is why our solar system matters. A vast array of planets, moons, asteroids and comets orbit our Sun. By studying these worlds, we learn what’s true about all planets and what’s just special about Earth. Take for example the Hadley cell, an atmospheric current that brings warm air from the equator to our mid-latitude regions. It turns out, the Hadley cell is also found on Mars, Venus, and even Saturn’s moon, Titan! On the other hand, plate tectonics like the ones forming Canada’s mountain ranges, as we know them now, are unique to Earth. And if space matters so much, the natural next question is “who should do it?”. Here on Earth, there are few places with a more diverse geology than Canada. Some of the oldest rocks in the world, over four billion years old, are found in the Northwest Territories. We can study the scars of the most recent ice age, whose glaciers carved the Canadian Shield and created the many lakes of Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. Canadians enjoy a Pacific subduction zone creating volcanos like Mount Garibaldi and can walk among ancient impact craters like the Sudbury Basin. Our backyard is a geologist’s dream come true, and it gives us a head start in becoming world-class scientists. Making Earth safer and more productive is an imperative, and exploring space is a necessary step in that endeavor. As we look to future, I can think of no people more poised to be leaders than... Read more

iss059e016574 - Expedition 59 Flight Engineer David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency takes a quick self portrait while working outside the International Space Station. (Credit: NASA) Millions of people are taking pictures everyday with an ease unprecedented even 20 years ago.  One of the biggest reasons why this is so easy now is because space scientists invested in charge-coupled device (CCD) technology decades ago. Back in 1969, two engineers at Bell Labs, Willard Boyle and George Smith, created the CCD (and won a Nobel Prize for their work in 2009). Originally they were looking for ways to store and read-off data in better and faster ways. However, they and many others immediately recognized CCDs would be incredibly useful for imaging as well. Up until that point, all cameras used film: light-sensitive material that, when exposed to light, would create a chemical reaction, leaving an image of the light behind. The best telescopes on the planet used large photographic plates to record images. Dr. Jesse Rogerson Dr. Jesse Rogerson is an astrophysicist and Science Advisor at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. He received is Ph.D. from York University where he studied super massive black holes. Jesse also has dedicated much of his professional career to education and public outreach by working at various museums, science centres, and the York University Astronomical Observatory. CCDs meant the strength of light could be stored electronically and then read-off into a digital picture. For astronomy this meant no more changing photographic plates for each image of the sky you wanted to take! Around this time, the astronomical community had already begun planning a large space observatory that would eventually become the Hubble Space Telescope. Starlight that travels through Earth’s atmosphere is distorted by the turbulence of the air. Observing through our atmosphere is like trying to see a penny on the bottom of a pool. Even if the pool water is very still, the penny will still be somewhat distorted. By putting a telescope in space, you are above the atmosphere, and thus the starlight is not distorted. But, if your telescope is in space and it uses photometric plates to record images, how do you retrieve the images? And how do you put new plates in the telescope? Astronomers toyed with various answers to these questions including sending astronauts up to retrieve the photometric plates and insert new ones. CCDs solved this problem because images could be saved on hard drives, and beamed back to Earth via RADAR. Unfortunately, CCDs were very new and not ready to be used for high-end science. So universities, labs, and private companies around the world started investing millions in CCD development. As a result of this early investment, CCDs are now in every telescope, every DSLR, and many mobile phones. This is how investments in fundamental scientific... Read more

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Mankind’s curiosity and thirst for knowledge, discovery and a deep desire to leave a footprint have pushed our frontiers to outer space. The neuroArm neurosurgical robot germinated from a quest to help patients with neurosurgical disease, returns space R&D back to earth! By merging advanced space robotics of Macdonald Dettwiler & Assoc. (MDA, Brampton ON) with University of Calgary led innovation, Dr. Garnette Sutherland, Professor of Neurosurgery, made it possible to operate on the brain using a tele-capable robot! The motivation: A precise and accurate machine helping surgeons operate within an MR imaging environment. Since its launch in 2008, neuroArm continues to be used at the Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary AB, making Calgary not only home to world’s first MR compatible robot for brain surgery, but also a cordial host to curious surgeons, scientists and industry worldwide, travelling to witness this Canadian ingenuity in action and continue the innovation cycle! Dr. Garnette Sutherland, Professor of Neurosurgery and Lead – Project neuroArm, University of Calgary, is well known to technology creation, particularly image-guided robotics. In a field where patient care takes centre stage, he continues to collaborate across disciplines and specialties, to translate his innovative ideas to the operating room. Following on the success of the ceiling-mounted intra-operative MRI system based on a high field moveable magnet, Dr. Sutherland asked the question “can surgery be performed within the MR environment while patient images are being acquired…?” Similar to outer space, a high field MR environment is a hostile space where, in addition to seamlessly executing the operation, patient and staff safety demands highest priority! The idea of siting a robot in this environment, controlled by the surgeon now relocated to an adjacent workstation, provided the solution! Space engineering from MDA was tasked to take the challenge of product development, and neuroArm, an offspring of Canadarm and Dextre, was born! Concept, materials and engineering principles of space robotics were applied to neuroArm, such that desired high precision, accuracy, safety/no-go zones, were realized. The system, first and only in the world, has showcased globally, the nuances and integration of advanced robotics into the operating... Read more

Space is beautiful, fascinating, and challenging. These three characteristics combined are the reason why space has inspired and motivated some of the most incredible accomplishments and discoveries that humanity has ever seen. Across disciplines, space attracts curious minds and challenges them to set their sights higher. And beyond the scientific community, space offers a unique avenue for ordinary people to engage with science and the awe and insights that science offers. Space’s ability to inspire and engage people is among the many reasons that space matters. Artist’s rendition of Saturn viewed through Titan’s hazy atmosphere. Image credit: European Space Agency (ESA) Image credit: Navid Baraty for The Planetary Society Kate Howells is a science communicator and advocate. She works for The Planetary Society, an internationally active non-profit organization that aims to empower the world’s citizens to advance space science and exploration. She is the author of Space is Cool as F***. For kids and adults alike, space is a subject that engages and excites. The beauty of the cosmos can stir an artist’s creativity; the mysteries of the universe can motivate a career in science or mathematics; the endless possibilities of the future of space can provide fodder for a writer’s work; the ingenuity that it takes to explore space can inspire a path in engineering. Whatever direction a person is inclined to take in their life, whatever their passion, space can help propel them to greater heights of achievement and creativity. Even when space doesn’t influence a career path, it can still impact how a person sees the world. For many people science is something they weren’t good at in school, so they see it as something they can’t participate in today. And yet every person on this planet, regardless of their education, can look up at the night sky or see a high-res image of another planet and understand that the universe is amazing. You don’t need an in-depth understanding of space science to appreciate what it can show us. The experience of space as a window into science can be a powerfully positive one, changing attitudes toward science at large. And the more society at large embraces science, the better equipped we will be to tackle today’s global issues. To maintain what space brings to society, we have to keep exploring.... Read more

Nearly every morning when I woke up for Junior High School, I ran to our front door to pick up our local newspaper, the Calgary Herald, from the front steps. Sometimes the paper was wet from rain, other times warm from sitting in the sun, and often ice cold and covered in a layer of frost. Either way it came, I brought the paper to our kitchen table and flipped through each section until I came to Science and Technology. I was looking specifically for stories about space exploration. When I saw an article covering Canada in space, I neatly cut out the pages and organized each into protective covers to store in a binder. As a young girl dreaming of the stars, with big goals to work in the space industry, this was my way of capturing history. My way of capturing what the accomplishments of Canadian engineers, scientists, and astronauts meant to me. Through these articles I felt connected to their stories; where what seemed impossible became truly possible. Natalie Panek Natalie Panek is an aerospace engineer at MDA, a Maxar Technologies company, as well as an avid adventurer. She works on Canadian space robotics and space exploration programs, including the chassis and locomotion systems for ESA’s ExoMars 2020 Mars rover. Natalie is also a member of the Explorer’s Club and a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society.Image credit: Sian Richards Twenty years later I can probably say that I have made it in Canada’s aerospace industry. I am an Engineer in Mission Systems at MDA and have for nearly the last decade worked on a variety of Canadian space initiatives. Everything from the development of robotic systems to repair satellites in orbit that are no longer working (think robotic arms like the Canadarm and robotics tools), studying how hazardous lunar dust affects hardware that we would use for a lunar habitat or rover, and even helping to design the chassis and locomotion system for ESA’s ExoMars rover, scheduled to launch in 2020 (the chassis and locomotion system is... Read more

Did you know Canada was the third country in space in 1962, after Russia and the USA? Just a first accomplishment of many. Today, Canada is an acknowledged world leader in space robotics, satellite communications, Earth observation and space science. Our diverse space sector includes some of Canada’s most innovative companies, universities, and research institutions. It generates $5.5 billion in revenue annually, employs 10,000 Canadians in highly skilled jobs — 41% of the workforce hold university degrees, supports nearly 22,000 more Canadian jobs and contributes $2.3 billion to Canada’s GDP. How are things looking for Canada’s future in space? Well, it depends. Canada’s investment in space has been declining for many years, and we’ve had no long-term space plan for decades. Since 1992, we have fallen from 8th to 18th amongst all space-faring countries in spending as a share of GDP. And just as the economic opportunities of space are increasing exponentially. The current space-related global market opportunity is estimated to be $380 billion and growing fast. 2005-08-03 NASA astronaut, Stephen Robinson attached to Canadarm2 during a spacewalk. ©NASA Mike Greenley Mike Greenley is the Group President of MDA, a Maxar Technologies company. MDA is an internationally recognized leader in advanced radar satellite systems and infrastructure, ground systems, space robotics and sensors, satellite antennas, electronics and payloads, surveillance and intelligence solutions, and defence systems. Mr. Greenley’s responsibilities include all MDA lines of business and its more than 1,900 employees across Canada and the United Kingdom. Mr. Greenley has over 25 years of experience in the defence and security business, with broad experience serving the Land, Air, Maritime, Joint, and Public Safety sectors. Mike Greenley, Group President, MDA ©Maxar Not only are we losing ground to other countries, but an important door, now open, will soon close. Canada’s international space exploration partners, including the US, Europe, and Japan, are planning a return to the Moon in the 2020s with a small space station, the Lunar Gateway. It will be the base for lunar surface exploration, a science lab, a communications hub and a staging platform to explore deeper space. The international community... Read more

Before stepping out the door this morning you checked the weather forecast on your mobile phone. Would you need a coat and an umbrella? On your way to work you stop off at the Tim Horton’s for a strong cup of coffee. Short on cash, you pay with your bank card. Back in the car, you listen to the latest hurricane tracking report on Sirius XM. The storm on the east coast has been upgraded to a Category 5. Search and rescue teams have been deployed to assist the affected communities.   Just as the weather forecast predicted, it starts to rain. The roads are wet and slippery. Traffic is heavy, and you will be late for work. You make the uncomfortable call to your workplace letting them know that you are delayed and will be late for a scheduled morning meeting. Thank goodness for Waze and Google Maps to give you an alternate route. You arrive at the meeting just in time to see your boss discussing the report you were up late preparing the night before. You breathe a sigh of relief. Luckily you emailed the report to the overseas team ahead of time. Practically every aspect of the above scenario used satellite resources. voir en français Even though they’re in orbit hundreds or even thousands of kilometres above us, satellites are part of our everyday lives, whether we know it or not. For several decades, satellites have taken pictures of Earth, sending back images, even in the film format back in the early days. They have also studied our universe, provided a Global Positioning System network, made Satellite phones, television, and Internet possible, through remote access and their unique quality of providing highly accurate time-keeping. What would happen if all the satellites stopped working? This BBC article explains how the world would be a very different place. Communications, transport, power and computer systems would be severely disrupted. Global business would ground to a halt and food supply chains would eventually break down. It is a truly a tribute to the space industry that we can take many parts of our day-to-day lives, that are enabled by satellites, for granted. Clearly, space... Read more