The Canadian Space Agency has awarded Bishops University a $1 million contract for the development of technology suitable for a microsatellite mission to explore new exoplanets.
The contract is the third award from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) procurement notice for seven priority technologies (PT) announced last November and covers PT 2, Enabling Technologies for the Exploration of New Worlds โ microsatellite opportunity.
Earlier this month ABB was awarded a $2.25 million PT 1 contract for the Cosmological Advanced Survey Telescope for Optical and UV Research (CASTOR) concept and Nรผvรผ Cameฬras was awarded $1 million for PT3 for the Enabling Technologies for the Exploration of New Worlds โ technologies for future payload opportunities.
Building on past microsatellite missions
The Canadian Space Agency states that “following the success of the Canadian Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars (MOST), Near Earth Orbit/Object Surveillance Satellite (NEOSSat) and BRight Target Explorer (BRITE) missions, the intent is to create options for an opportunity for the development of a future potential Canadian led exoplanet mission within a scope of a micro-satellite class platform and affordability.”
Of note, Dr. Jason Rowe at Bishops’s University worked with the MOST satellite measuring the reflectively of extra-solar planets using photometric measurements and his current research includes an affiliation as a senior scientist at the SETI Institute working on exoplanets. The Bishop’s exoplanet research team also worked on the NEOSSat and BRITE missions.
SpaceQ contacted Dr. Rowe by email who confirmed that he was leading the project. He also stated that “the project will advance the payload concept and optical technologies for a potential Canadian led small-satellite astronomy mission to characterize and discovery exoplanets. As part of the study, an optical telescope assembly will be prototyped to enable precision photometry in both the near-UV and near-IR. A small-sat for exoplanet astrophysics was listed as one of the top priorities of the Canadian Astronomy 2020 Long Range Plan which is directly supported by this technology development.’
A Canadian led exoplanet microsatellite mission would be capped at $35 million with the platform being somewhere between 10 and 100 kg.
The CSA states that the technology development opportunity will address payload and optical technologies that are required for the targeted mission.
“The main elements of the payload include the optical telescope and the focal plane. The telescope can include its optical and mechanical design and optimizations and prototyping. The focal plane can include options for detectors appropriate with the mission objectives, which may include the assessment of detector options in different bands (near UV, optical, Near Infrared (NIR)), including their read out electronics, and thermal control if necessary, followed by prototyping and testing.”
“Payload concepts must have demonstrated feasibility and must self-evaluate at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 2 or 3 and Science Readiness Level (SRL) 3, or above, at the start of the project.”
Updated 3:30 p.m. EDT – With statement from Dr. Rowe.