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The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has announced the 2nd Canadian Lunar Workshop. The event will be virtual and take place between May 30 and June 1, 2023.
In making the announcement the CSA said the “workshop provides a forum for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to present the advancements of the Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP) and for the community to showcase recent research, LEAP projects, and ideas for Gateway utilization.”
“This 2nd Canadian Lunar Workshop will focus on the Canadian Lunar Rover, technology development and demonstration, lunar dust, food production, Deep Space Astronauts Healthcare as well as future planning, amongst other topics.”
Workshop sessions include:
Lunar science from sample to orbit – This session seeks contributions to lunar geology, geophysics, prospecting, and to the lunar space environment. Contributions focusing on, but not limited to, sample analysis, remote sensing and modeling are welcome, as well as instruments development or potential missions.
Lunar surface and orbit innovative technologies – This session welcomes contributions on existing and future innovations pertaining to surface and orbital technologies such as lunar rovers, their sub-systems and payloads as well as other mission enabling technologies.
Study of volatiles and geology of the lunar south pole: the Canadian Rover Mission – The aim of this session is to bring together scientists studying the lunar south pole, the destination of the Canadian Rover Mission. Contributions outlining the mission’s objectives, the expected data that will be collected from the science payloads, and studies of potential landing sites, and amongst other topics, are welcome.
Lunar Dust – This session will focus on studies of lunar dust: its sources and sinks, its “weather” and interaction with space plasmas, and the impact that dust has on technological and human activities and health, both on the surface of the Moon and in orbit.
Deep Space Astronaut’s Healthcare – “Deep Space Astronauts Healthcare” will expose the challenges of healthcare delivery in deep space and in terrestrial medically-isolated communities. The session will further highlight the opportunities that exist for Canada to make a meaningful contribution to deep space healthcare, while catalyzing transformational changes in the way medical services are provided, leveraging the power of medical technology to de-centralize healthcare, with the ultimate goal of bringing the care to where the need is in space, and on Earth. The call for abstracts welcomes ideas on: AI and autonomy, Effects of long duration space flight, Health monitoring devices, Advanced technology and science to support medical care delivery in a remote setting.
Food Production – This session focuses on introducing CSA’s Food Production Initiative which aims to develop food production capabilities for long-duration space flight and provide critical systems to an international lunar surface food system partnership, while enhancing food security for all Canadians, especially those in Northern and remote communities. The call for abstracts invites contributions on innovative systems/technologies with capabilities to support Canada’s space food production goals. Invited topics include, but are not limited to, controlled environment agriculture (CEA), crop selection, water treatment and management, waste and resource management/loop closure, robotics, automation, plant health monitoring and other novel non-plant food production technologies.
Lunar Gateway Utilization – This session will focus on utilization of the Lunar Gateway for scientific and educational activities. Abstracts in Astrophysics, Education-Outreach, Heliophysics, Lunar-related science from the Gateway, Space Biology and Life Sciences, Human Health research, or Technology/Materials describing ideas or projects to be conducted specifically in the Moon orbit can be submitted.
Abstracts are due April 3, 2023.
