Space and space assets should be an essential element of government infrastructure, says Steve MacLean, president of the Canadian Space Agency.
<!–[endif]–>
Canada has gleaned more than its fair share of space research from investments in the International Space Station, says former astronaut Steve MacLean.
MacLean presented the annual Nerenberg Lecture on the subject “It is rocket science,” offering his perspective as a former astronaut on the complexity, benefits and future challenges of space exploration.
To him, a mission is an experience where “all of the human emotions in a five-week span…You sense everything, you hear every sound and colours are more vibrant.”
In addition to the science and technology involved in space exploration, there are elements he says that are beyond calculation. MacLean cited the example of the Saturn V rocket. The vehicle has been engineered to be 99.95 per cent efficient, yet the exact timing sequence to open the maze of valves which channel fuel to the engines is so complex they are not understood theoretically.
The sequence was worked out through many test trials before the right one was found. It is in that way, MacLean says, that rocket science “is an art.”
But will Canada be there? Will space research keep pace with the needs of a growing nation?
Many of today’s experts in the field are past the mid-point of their careers and the financial resources have not been available to develop the next generation of experts. MacLean says Canada must build on its heritage in space exploration and foster the synergy in the academic, government and industry circles.
MacLean’s first space mission was aboard the 1992 Columbia space shuttle flight. Along with science experiments, this flight carried some of the ashes of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.
MacLean was inspired by the ashes and now he’s amazed by how technology is catching up with Star Trek. While we don’t have transporters, phasers and warp drive, in many other ways the imagination shown in the TV series inspired people he knows to follow a space career and turn the TV series “fiction into facts.”
Later on, MacLean was part of missions to build the International Space Station (ISS). Most people know of Canada’s technical contribution as being the lauded Canadarm, but MacLean revealed, in terms of investment, Canada’s return was substantial. We contributed a fifth of the financial backing but reaped a third of the scientific and technological research gleaned from the ISS missions.
MacLean spoke of the advances in space science with direct applications to everyday life. Satellites are indispensible in forecasting weather, and providing GPS and broadcast communications. Other spin-off innovations have provided high performance clothing, air purification systems and solar power.
Still, MacLean says there is so much more that can be done, describing space as “a truly healthy investment.” Space research has yielded technology essential for monitoring the conditions of the polar ice caps and the ozone layer as well as keeping an eye out for carbon monoxide emissions.
Canadian space expertise allows the Canadian Wheat Board to monitor the wheat cycle around the world, which in turn helps predict world wheat prices. The Nerenberg Lecture series is in memory of Morton (Paddy) Nerenberg, a much-loved Western professor and a founding member of the Applied Mathematics Department.
The writer is a communication specialist in the Faculty of Science.