Two University of Saskatchewan researchers are contributing to a NASA multi-satellite mission that has brought together resources from 13 Canadian universities, the Canadian Space Agency, Environment and Climate Change Canada and the National Research Council of Canada.
This mission aims to provide better forecasts of climate, weather and air quality, with launch dates set for 2028 and 2031.
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The Canadian contribution to the project is called HAWC (High Altitude Aerosols, Water Vapor and Clouds) and USask is developing two parts of this project, the ALI (Limb Aerosol Imaging) and the SHOW ( Spatial heterodyne observations of water).
Adam Bourassa, professor of physics and engineering physics at USask, said they are working on instruments that measure the atmosphere.
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One of the space-bound instruments is in the works at USask. University of Saskatchewan
“In our lab we develop next-generation sensors and instruments to measure the atmosphere from space from satellite platforms to look at things like pollution and climate change and the ozone layer,” Bourassa said.
The global project will also help model predictions and help prepare for extreme events such as winter storms, wildfire smoke plumes and heavy rainfall.
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Bourassa said one of the instruments looks at aerosols in the atmosphere, which are tiny droplets or particles that could come from pollution, smoke and dust.
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He added that aerosols affect the atmosphere in many ways, affecting clouds and affecting temperature and precipitation patterns.
Bourassa said that the initial idea for this project began 10 years ago and that integrating the use of new technologies that had never been done in space was a long-standing challenge for the team .
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Doug Degenstein, a professor of engineering and physics at USask, said the two instruments under development at the lab use the scattering and absorption of light from molecules to measure the contents of the atmosphere.
He added that they have been building better devices as funding has increased, noting that one of the instruments is in its third iteration.
“They’re basically ready for space now. The space base mounts haven’t been built, but the design and testing is done,” Degenstein said.
He said assessments are on the way, noting that Canadian Space Agency engineers will go over everything with them.
One of the instruments destined for space in USask. University of Saskatchewan
Degenstein said the project has also seen a lot of participation from undergraduate students.
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“The ALI instrument has been designed, built, redesigned, built, tested, redesigned, built again many times, but mostly by graduate students.”
According to a statement from the federal government, Canada has contributed more than $200 million to this NASA project.
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Jason Cole, a research scientist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, said these instruments are very useful.
“It gives me data that I can use to understand the science and observe what’s going on in the atmosphere,” Cole said.
He said he will get better weather forecast models and can use that information to cross-reference and make sure it’s an improved model.
Cole noted that having all three devices working together from HAWC will provide beneficial information to the public.
For example, he said they could observe a volcanic eruption and they could predict the effects of the eruption.
“We would like to be able to know that the eruption occurred and actually predict what the effect on the climate would be going into the next season, next year.”
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