Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) , the non-profit industry association that runs one of Canada’s five Global Innovation Clusters, announced today that they will be providing $4.6 million in private- and public-sector funding for six space-sector projects.
The projects are all related to a program focused on in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) on the Moon, and are part of a broader NGen announcement today of 15 new projects totalling $59M.
The program, called the “Moonshot for Mining, Minerals and Manufacturing”, was undertaken with the financial support of the Canadian Space Agency. According to NGen CEO Jayson Meyers,” it is intended to “help tackle the challenges of establishing a permanent human presence on the Moon, which includes “leveraging Canada’s strengths in fields like Artificial Intelligence, robotics, quantum sensing, and additive manufacturing that can then be reapplied back on Earth.”
SpaceQ reached out to Meyers about the announcement. We also talked to the founder and CEO of St. Catherines-based Destiny Copper, Greg Hanna, about their copper oxide “moonshot” project that received funding.
NGen and space funding
Meyers said that NGen was founded in 2017 to “drive business-led innovation initiatives in the Canadian Manufacturing sector,” and was selected by the federal government to run Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Cluster in 2018. Its role, he said, is to “drive collaboration among private sector partners to lead advanced manufacturing innovation projects that are funded by the Federal Government via ISED’s GIC program and leverage significant private sector investment.”
So far, he said, they have made investments of public and private sector funding into “211 cluster projects with 483 industry partners”, which includes everything from quantum technologies to “digitization of advanced steelmaking processes”. This is their first investment in the growing Canadian space sector.
Meyers said that this particular investment program is connected to the CSA’s Lunar Gateway initiative. NGen initially developed an opportunity paper in partnership with the Canadian Space Mining Corporation that outlined a “mission-oriented innovation strategy” for the Canadian manufacturing sector, which ultimately led to this “Moonshot” investment program in space-related tech.
Meyers said that this round of projects will be completed by February 2025. While this is currently “NGen’s first and only investment in partnership with the CSA”, he said, he didn’t close the door to future work, noting that “NGen has worked on projects involving private sector space/aerospace partners such as MDA (Space).”
Destiny’s copper oxide project
The Canadian Space Mining Corporation (CSMC) was one of the recipients; they’ll be working with Destiny Copper on a project called “Sustainable Copper Oxide for Lunar Applications.” Destiny Copper will be the lead company on the project, with CSMC as their partner. CSMC also leads a different project on “Swarm Construction”.
Destiny Copper is a company that’s focused on sustainable copper extraction. Hanna explained that the company has “developed the world’s first Cleantech copper extraction process that requires almost zero energy to produce high purity copper and copper powder…from waste streams and even old mine tailings.” The company’s “sustainably produced copper powder,” he said, is going to be used in additive manufacturing (3D printing) of aerospace parts, as well as being used in “space applications.” The company is moving into “full commercialization,” he said, and is already taking orders from the EV battery sector.
This particular project, however, is about copper oxide. Hanna said that their process can “leach oxide ores very easily into solution,” and then can later extract the copper into metal powder using chemical processes (rather than energy). Because of that, the company is exploring the possibility of carrying powdered copper oxide into space, and then using their chemical process to break down the oxide powder into copper and oxygen.
Hanna explained that this could be a very efficient way to transport both copper and oxygen to a lunar project. Copper Oxide, he said, “is 20.1% oxygen, and therefore 20.1% of the mass transported would be oxygen.” As the oxygen is part of an oxide, it would be both more stable and more dense than if it were being transported as either oxygen or water, potentially allowing for easier transport. Once on site, the copper and oxygen could be chemically separated, and the oxygen could be used for combustion or life support, while the copper could be used as part of additive manufacturing processes.
As it’s likely that copper will need to be transported to the Moon anyway, this could make transport more efficient. Destiny (and partner CSMC) will be receiving $2.3 million for the project in total; $1.15 million from NGen and another 1.16 million from industry.
Other successful projects
Other successful projects in the “moonshot” program include:
- Automated Task Learning Technology for Easy and Fast Setup of Autonomous Robots ($500,000) – Led by Guidebolt Inc with Lauer as partner.
- UGPS for space exploration ($499,999) – Led by Aposys Technologies with Cheetah Networks as partner.
- Swarm Construction ($499,623) – Led by CSMC with Mission Control as partner.
- Characterization and Presentation of Critical Minerals Reserves and Assets ($274,623) – Led by Sayona with MayaHTT as partner.
- Manufacturing of nano alumina dopped with Rare Earth Elements ($500,059) – Led by AEM Technologies Inc. with Neoctech as partner.
In today’s NGen funding announcement, François-Philippe Champagne, Federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, said that the government is “proud to collaborate with NGen to accelerate innovation and advancements in support of our key advanced manufacturing sectors,” and that these projects “advance the development and adoption of cutting-edge solutions and deliver important benefits to Canadians while creating jobs and contributing to economic growth.”
In the announcement, Myers also said that NGen is “creating private and public sector partnerships across provincial boundaries that are building world-leading advanced manufacturing capabilities in Canada.”