WISP was intended to fly on board the space shuttle, for probing space plasma in the vicinity of the shuttle orbit. It was built for the NRC and the CRC, in cooperation with the Canadian Astronautics Limited.
LAMPS is an experimental facility for laser material processing research in variable gravity environments.
The LAMPS project was coordinated by MPBC and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
The Airborne Imaging Microwave Radiometer (AIMR), developed by MPBC, is a passive radiometer designed for sea ice mapping. Initially built for Canada's Atmospheric Environment Service (AES), it was later acquired by the U.S. Research Aviation Facility (RAF) and flew missions until 1998. NASA eventually became the primary user, deploying AIMR for polar research.
AIMR operates on 37 GHz and 90 GHz frequencies, measuring brightness temperature with a resolution of 20-300 meters and a swath width of 3-20 kilometers, depending on flight conditions.
For more details, visit NASA’s AIMR page.
LAMPS was an experimental facility for laser material processing research in variable gravity environments.
LAMPS allowed investigators to specify their own experimental configuration (vacuum sample cell, isothermal furnace, infrared detectors, etc.) and provided them with generic peripherals such as support structure with vibration insulation, power supply, control and data acquisition, high power laser, and beam delivery optics.
LAMPS was based on commercially available components whenever possible, an approach that facilitated reconfiguration and easy upgrade. LAMPS project was coordinated by MPBC and the Canadian Space Agency.
Experiments on the KC-135 included:
LATEOR - Black Brant Rocket Payload Flown on CSA’s Falcon-20 Jet (1993), NASA’s KC-135 flights (1993 & 1994), and CSAR-2 sub orbital sounding rocket (1994)
CHAMPS was a modular microgravity research furnace developed for the National Research Council's Space Division.
It was flown in a Get-Away-Special (GAS) container aboard the space shuttle Endeavour STS-57 in June 1993, investigating GaAs crystal growth by liquid phase electro-epitaxy (LPEE).
Combining the advantages of both dedicated and generic experimental facilities, CHAMPS allowed investigators to specify their own experimental configuration while at the same time providing them with generic peripherals.
Configurable hardware included thermal and gradient furnace, levitator, etc., while generic peripherals included control and data acquisition, thermal insulation, and ground support equipment.
ARF was an aquatic research facility for life science experiments in microgravity. Designed and built by MPBC, for the Canadian Space Agency and NASA, it fit in a mid-deck locker of the Space Shuttle.
ARF opened up suitcase-style and held 6 small containers that housed two miniature aquariums in each half. When closed, the facility provided controlled light, temperature, and video imaging.
During the experiments, one carousel stayed still, while the other rotated 86 times a minute. This unique design allowed for both zero-g (space) and simulated one-g (earth) environments at the same time. On ground, a twin ARF replicated the sequence, providing two more control groups.
The Aquatic Research Facility (ARF 1) was first launched with STS 77 Space Shuttle in May 1996. On this mission, the three experiments carried out were on early embryonic development, ocean ecology, and bone calcium loss.
A joint CSA/NASA project, both agencies shared the results of the experiments carried out on ARF.
Microgravity Isolation Mount (MIM) flight hardware was designed to sense and counter the natural background vibrations that occur in microgravity. MIM consisted of three parts: the control unit, the flotor where the experiments are mounted, and the stator, which was fixed to the spacecraft. The flotor stage used the principle of magnetic levitation to steady the experiments.
MIM 1 was built for the Canadian Space Agency's Microgravity Sciences Program, based on an idea by Dr. Tim Salcudean of the University of British Columbia. MIM 1 was launched into space in April 1996 aboard the Russian Priroda space module, and became a permanent facility on the orbiting space station MIR.
First experiments to use the MIM facility aboard MIR used the QUELD II furnace (Queen's University Experiments in Liquid Diffusion) to develop new alloys and semi-conductor materials.
From 1996 to 2001, the system logged more than 3000 hours of operational time supporting experiments including:
Canada developed RADARSAT-1, the world's first Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Earth observation satellite, to monitor environmental change and natural resources.
Under contract to the Canadian Space Agency, MPBC completed the design, development, manufacture and installation of the four high-precision active transponders for the satellite calibration.
The transponders were installed across Canada (in Fredericton, NB; Ottawa, Ont.; Prince Albert, Sask.; and Resolute, NWT) so that RADARSAT could be calibrated from one of the units with every pass over the country. They were under remote control from a central facility in Ottawa.
MPBC built three transponders for ESA (European Space Agency) to calibrate the ENVISAT Earth monitoring satellite. The three transponders, known as Active Radar Calibration units, were located in Flevoland, The Netherlands, and were arranged in an east-west line. These units covered the approximately 100-km wide beam pattern as it swept parallel to the north-south satellite path. With a 20 km spacing between them, they provided calibration across the swath and azimuth beam shape at three points in the elevation pattern.
The first trial of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) in a balloon flight experiment by DLR, Germany, marked a key step toward using EDFAs in space. MPBC's amplifiers excelled under extreme vibration and temperature fluctuations, proving their reliability.
As the DLR team reported after the mission, "All in all, the amplifier performed great during numerous thermal vacuum tests and during the stratospheric mission... Chances are high that we will use a similar EDFA on our next scientific mission."
At the time, only a few companies could deliver high-performance EDFAs with 13-15 dBm output, and MPBC emerged as the leading provider.
Thin-film formulation for advanced sunshield smart coating that can be applied to existing space-qualified materials such as Aluminium, Kapton or Teflon to facilitate thermal stabilization of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) membrane antennas.
The mirrors and sensors of advanced space instruments such as radars and telescopes need to be kept at very low cold temperature to detect weak signals coming from space. The sunshield protects these instruments from external sources of light and heat and permit a stable temperature. An additional challenge for the sunshield sheet is to have low resistivity at very low temperature preventing its rupture.
The sunshield built by MPB is based on the VO2, on Kapton and demonstrated its capabilities as high emissivity, low resistivity and good mechanical adherence and flexibility.
The presence and absence of solar energy has the potential to respectively raise and lower the internal temperature of any structure. Heating and cooling beyond the atmosphere happen even faster over a more extreme range - from minus 150°C to plus 150°C in a matter of minutes.
It is preferable that the internal temperature of a satellite be between -10°C to +30° to ensure effective operation of communication and control electronics. The only way for a spacecraft to reject heat and keep satellite temperatures within operating limits is through thermal radiation to space, which is typically accomplished by thermal radiators. MPBC’s Variable Emittance Thermochromic Material adjusts its properties in accordance with the ambient environment. Used in the exterior structure of a satellite housing, the coating will maintain the optimal temperature of the satellite interior.
Although there are known variable emittance coatings in existence, they differ from MPBC's in that they need to be electrically manipulated to react. The material MPBC has developed responds passively, which eliminates any additional electronics and reduces the possibility of failure.
The same invention is applicable for a number of terrestrial applications that require internal temperature regulation - for example, a structure, housing, or vehicle.
United States Patent #: 7,761,053 B2
MPBC’s Flight Sensor Demonstrator (FSD) uses fiber sensors to measure temperature and pressure and is the first full fiber-optic sensor network on a satellite. Launched in November 2009 and still operational in 2024, it collects data on PROBA-2 upon request. The system includes twelve temperature sensors, one high-temperature sensor for the thruster, and a pressure/temperature sensor for the Xenon propellant tank. Its central interrogation system is compact and efficient, employing a tunable fiber laser for spectral measurement.
The PROBA-2 system features innovative Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors, custom-made by MPBC. The Pressure/Temperature Sensor uses a robust stainless-steel housing and multiple FBG gratings, while the High-Temperature Sensor is designed for stability in extreme heat. Proprietary packaging enhances sensor sensitivity and decouples strain effects, ensuring precise measurements. Benefits include EMI insensitivity, flexible signal routing, and high measurement resolution. This advanced sensor network offers spacecraft operators a lighter, more compact, and power-efficient solution for monitoring temperature and pressure.
The miniature spectrometer integrates infrared fiber optics and waveguides with advanced infrared linear detector arrays. With an added Fabry-Perot interferometer at the output slit to boost spectral resolution, this design became a core component of GHG satellite spectrometers used to detect fine spectral lines of CO2 and CH4.
United States Patent #7,034,935 B1
MEOS is an Earth Observation (EO) mission concept for monitoring of the major greenhouse gases and investigation of cloud structures.
MPBC’s team and their Canadian and international partners have developed the measurement strategy and a suite of advanced miniaturization technologies that can be used on a low-cost microsat platform. Major parts of this design were used in the GHG satellite series (Iris and Claire).
The Inukshuk Canadian Mars lander is designed to give us a glimpse of what lurks beneath the Martian surface. From previous missions, we know that the surface of Mars is covered in rock and wind-blown dust.
Funded by the Canadian Space Agency, the mission is being led by MPBC with partners MDA Space Missions in Ontario, and the Department of Geography at the University of Winnipeg.
The self-healing composite is based on the use of a monomer and a catalyst. As a crack spreads, the healing agent is released, and flows through the crack and comes into contact with the catalyst, which initiates the polymerization process. This process bonds the crack closed. Incorporating a self-healing composite in the exterior structure of systems built for space could greatly improve the reliability and lifetime of the structures, and mitigate damage caused by space dust and debris. It is estimated that more than 80% of crater damages (diameter <1 mm) could self-heal with the proposed system.
Thermal shock tests illustrate the potential: two samples were subjected to 20 cycles of -196° C liquid nitrogen bath alternating with a 60°C oven. The standard sample did not make it past the first round. The self-healed composite material regained as much as 90 percent of its original strength.
In November, 2009, CSA awarded funding to MPBC to continue this research under a contract entitled "Pioneering of Self-healing of Damage in Composites Caused by Space Debris." This project joins MPBC (space, fiber optics self-healing), Concordia University (composites, self-healing) and McGill University (novel hypervelocity launcher) in developing innovative self-healing concepts mitigating the effects of debris impacts.
MPBC hopes to demonstrate its self-healing composite on either a micro satellite or the International Space Station.
United States Patent #8865798
The second generation of smart thermal radiator is an upgraded distribution of thinner multilayer coatings, based on the VO2 as in the first version. It was developed to reach higher tuneability (efficiency) requested by space clients.
MPBC qualified samples of the second generation of smart radiators for Low Earth Orbit, demonstrating their effect in improving heat dissipation in vacuum. Recently, CubeSats became more and more widely used for space research, due to the low cost of their manufacturing, launching and the flexibility of their applications. The size of the smart radiator samples (4 cm x 4 cm) makes them suitable for CubeSats applications.
Preliminary demonstration of MPBC's samples has shown their effectiveness for thermal monitoring in space. This was performed by a joint team from Northrop Grumman Corporation, Naval Research Laboratory (Read Paper), and U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (Read Paper)
United States Patent #8,908,253 B2
The Mars Methane Mission was one of a series of Analogue Missions funded by the Canadian Space Agency, with the objective of advancing science and technology on Earth, while contributing to the methodology of future explorations in space.
Led by MPBC, the Mars Methane Mission was orchestrated to validate the science capabilities and operational requirements of the KAPVIK microRover and its potential miniature science payload. Missions were deployed in June 2011 and June 2012 in abandoned open-pit asbestos mines in Quebec. The locations were picked for their geographical similarities to the Mars terrain, and because they contained methane produced by the weathering of serpentine, a process suggested to have taken place on Mars.
Key components of the field test in 2012 included:
MPBC was the prime contractor for a proposed lunar mission, which aimed to utilize the Kapvik micro-rover and MPBC’s miniature infrared spectrometer. This mission aligns with the broader goals of CABLE, a platform fostering international collaboration between Canada (CSA?), Britain (?), and the U.S. (NASA) on launcher and lander technologies. The mission aimed to realize a low-cost (under $100M) lunar landing by combining complementary capabilities and technologies.
The mission plan included a low-cost launcher, a soft lander with hazard avoidance capabilities, and a highly capable micro-rover based on Canada’s Kapvik prototype. The baseline science mission was focused on investigating surface characteristics in a previously unexplored region of the Moon, addressing critical geological and lunar resource questions.
The prime candidate for the landing was the Aristarchus Plateau Constellation Site 2, located at -52.40 longitude and 27.70 latitude on the lunar near side. This geologically diverse region, situated between the lunar mare and highlands, provides insights into volcanic processes and the Moon's interior composition. It also has potential for resource exploitation, making it a possible future human outpost, as identified by the international scientific community.
Laser-induced Remote Analyzer (LIRA) consists of a laser-induced breakdown spectrometer (LIBS) and imaging system that provides elemental data and context imaging for stand-off investigations of targets on planetary surfaces. Direct measurement and mapping of the composition of planetary surfaces as well as asteroids by orbiters and/or rovers is vital to provide knowledge of the availability and distribution of relevant mineralogy and resources. This is in particular necessary to permit a sustained human presence on the Moon and Mars, for life-support, such as H2O and O2, relevant fuels and building materials.
MPBC developed an engineering breadboard developed for the CSA (Canadian Space Agency). MPBC performed space relevant verifications, and studied the potential application to future lunar and asteroid missions to assist the exploration and mapping of mineralogy and in situ resources. The performance of LIRA-LIBS field unit was verified in the laboratory using well calibrated samples, and in the field under various ambient illumination conditions.
Using its 1064 nm pulsed laser, LIRA removed the surface dust (several mm thick) on multiple samples, enabling measurements of the elemental composition of the underlying sample.
The LIRS (Laser Induced Raman Spectroscopy) combines LIBS (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) and Raman spectrometer elegantly, it integrates laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using 1064 nm excitation for elemental composition and deep UV (DUV) Raman using 248.6 nm excitation.
LIRS provides information on the bonding structure of the elements, fluorescence for the ppm sensitive detection of the presence of organics, and a bore-sighted colour micro-imager for complementary information on the sample morphology, LIBS plume, and resultant crater.
MPBC built and tested a LIRS breadboard for the associated relevant laboratory and thermal-vacuum validations. Validation tests have shown that LIRS:
MPBC designed and built the imaging spectrometer for the first microSat capable of monitoring greenhouse gas (GHG) and air quality gas (AQG) emissions of any industrial site in the world. GHGSat-CLAIRE is the first High-Resolution Emission Monitoring Satellite. It is the pioneer in high-resolution greenhouse gas emissions monitoring from space.
As the first satellite launched by GHGSat, Claire redefined the landscape of emission monitoring. CLAIRE is a narrow-bandwidth imaging spectrometer designed to fly on a 15-kg microSat. With a polar orbit at 500-km altitude, it surveys the Earth’s surface with observations of selected 15 × 15 km areas of interest. It senses the luminosity of earth areas in bands relevant to greenhouse gases such as CO2 and CH4.
GHGSat’s demonstration satellite was launched as a secondary payload on a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C34) on June 21, 2016. During the mission, CLAIRE successfully demonstrated its ability in detecting emitted gas plumes on Earth. The second generation was IRIS, it had the right resolution
United States Patent #: 9,228,897 B2
GHGSat IRIS (GHGSat-C1) is an upgraded instrument from GHGSat CLAIRE (GHGSat-D) featuring high-resolution, narrow-bandwidth imaging spectrometer designed to fly on a 15-kg microSat. With a polar orbit at 500-km altitude, it surveys the Earth’s surface with observations of selected 15 × 15 km areas of interest. It senses the luminosity of earth areas in bands relevant to greenhouse gases such as CO2 and CH4.
GHGSat IRIS satellite was launched aboard Vega Launch Vehicle, from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on September 3rd, 2020. GHGSat-C1 (“IRIS“) is capable of monitoring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of any industrial site in the world. It has successfully measured at least five emitted gas plumes similar in size to the controlled release test (260 kg/hr), two of which were smaller and estimated in size to be between 205 kg/hr and 217 kg/hr.
Where CLAIRE detected a single large methane plume, IRIS now detects the same plume much more clearly, as well as the four other smaller plumes in the same measurement. IRIS measured methane leak plumes in 2020 with higher resolution at the Coal Mine, Australia and Oil & Gas, Central Asia.
Volatiles and Mineralogy Mapping Orbiter (VMMO) is a low-cost 12U CubeSat concept, proposed by a MPBC Lead consortium, that was originally selected by the European Space Agency (ESA). This is an ambitious mission that will generate valuable data related to the location and extent of water ice and other lunar volatiles across the permanently shadowed regions of the lunar South Pole.
The Lunar Volatile and Mineralogy Mapper (LVMM), a payload to be built by MPBC, will be launched with the ESA’s VMMO. LVMM is a multi-wave chemical Lidar payload to detect and map volatiles and other resources such as ilmenite (FeTiO3). Although a number of planned future missions will further map water ice deposits, the spatial resolution of these observations is expected to be of the order of kilometers.
Using single-mode fiber lasers, the LVMM will reduce the special resolution of the mapping from the order of kilometers to 100 meters. MPBC has completed Phase-A of this mission.
