31 octobre 2022 | Local, Aérospatial
Fighter Task Force enhanced: Canada's role in NATO’s enhanced air policing mission - Skies Mag
With Russia’s war against Ukraine raging nearby, NATO air policing over Romania requires additional “capabilities.”
25 février 2020 | Local, Aérospatial
Canada backs businesses to join in the next chapter of lunar exploration
Canada has joined humanity's return to the Moon – an investment in science, innovation and research to unlock new opportunities for economic growth and to help us answer important questions about our planet, universe and ourselves.
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is presenting Canada's space community, including small and medium-sized businesses, with the opportunity to contribute technologies to national and international efforts of exploring the Moon. This is a crucial step in humanity's quest to travel further in space, onwards to Mars.
The CSA is awarding 7 contracts worth a total of $4.36 million to five companies and one university to advance concepts for nano- and micro-rovers, as well as autonomous science instruments. These advancements will serve as the first steps towards landing and conducting Canadian science on the surface of the Moon.
“Our Government is positioning Canada's space sector to reach for the Moon and beyond. This investment will help Canadian businesses bring their technologies to market, creating opportunities for them to join the growing space economy while supporting Canada to achieve world firsts in space science and exploration,” said Navdeep Bains, minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
The contracts being awarded are as follows:
- ABB (Quebec) will receive $693,193 to design, build and test the prototype for an autonomous lunar exploration infrared spectrometer that will remotely measure and study the mineralogical composition of the Moon's surface.
- Bubble Technology Industries Inc. (Ontario) will receive $698,321 to develop a spectrometer that will autonomously search for hydrogen to indicate the presence of water and ice near the Moon's surface.
- Canadensys Aerospace Corporation (Ontario) will receive two contracts worth a total of $1,099,366 to develop concept designs, technologies and prototypes for two different classes of small Canadian lunar science rovers – a nano-rover and a micro-rover.
- Magellan Aerospace (Manitoba) will receive $607,258 to develop a lunar impactor probe that will deliver instruments to the surface of the Moon, including sensors to detect water in the permanently shadowed regions of the Moon.
- Mission Control Space Services Inc. (Ontario) will receive $573,829 to advance an autonomous soil assessment system as an AI-based science support tool for rovers navigating on the Moon.
- Western University (Ontario) will receive $690,123 to develop an integrated vision system for surface operations that will be used for identification of the geology of the lunar surface and for rover navigation.
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24 août 2021 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
La Conférence des associations de la défense invite les partis fédéraux à s’expliquer sur les enjeux de sécurité et de défense
À l'occasion des élections fédérales 2021, la Conférence des associations de la défense, une organisation non-partisane à but non lucratif regroupant 40 associations membres qui représentent plus de 400 000 membres actifs et retraités des Forces armées canadiennes, invite les trois partis principaux à dire comment ils entendent répondre aux enjeux de sécurité nationale et de défense.
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7 avril 2020 | Local, Aérospatial
COVID-19 and aviation: Survival, recovery, and innovation
Posted on April 7, 2020 by Dr. Suzanne Kearns This article originally appeared in The Hill Times and is published here with the permission of the author. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged Canadians to adapt their way of life. Aviation professionals are playing a vital role in preserving societal functioning, with airlines volunteering to repatriate Canadians abroad, crew members risking exposure to reunite travellers with their families, and cargo operations playing a vital role in the supply chain – distributing essential medical supplies. These critical activities are only possible because of the work of the entire aviation sector that includes maintenance engineers, air traffic controllers, airport professionals, and so many others. In 2019 airlines carried 4.3 billion passengers, 58 million tonnes of freight, and supported 65.5 million jobs around the world (3.6 per cent of the world's gross domestic product according to the Aviation Benefits Report). The tourism sector is interconnected with aviation, supporting a further 37 million tourism-related jobs. The COVID-19 pandemic is testing the aviation industry in ways that were unfathomable at the beginning of this year. International aviation had been on a growth trajectory, with traffic projected to double in the coming 15 years. As 2020 began, some of the most pressing industry challenges were how to meet the demand for aviation professionals and achieve emission-reduction targets towards environmental sustainability. Aviation has always been a cyclical industry directly and rapidly impacted by downturns in the economy. The industry reported losses in the early 1990s due to the recession and again in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks; in 2003 following the SARS epidemic, and in 2008 linked to the financial crisis. Each of these downturns was followed by a period of economic recovery. Looking specifically at SARS, airlines lost $6 billion in revenues with the outbreak's economic impact having a V-shape where the rapid decline was matched by a speedy economic recovery. Despite the airline industry's cyclical nature it has maintained profitability for the past 10 years, with a profit of $25.9 billion in 2019 despite recent tragedies and challenges, according to IATA. For example, the sector faced the 737 Max accidents in 2018 and 2019, the Ukraine Airlines Flight 752 shot down in Iran, and the emergence of “flygskam” flight shaming air travel due to its emissions. Each of these events impacts passenger confidence in aviation, and many industry experts were bracing for an economic decline as a result. The industry maintaining profitability over the last decade is a testament to its strength and resilience. The COVID-19 pandemic is testing the aviation sector in new ways. The entire industry is being stretched to a breaking point, without interventions, it can not survive the crisis. Assuming travel restrictions are lifted after three months, 2020's passenger demand will be 38 per cent less than 2019, resulting in an impact of USD$ 252 billion according to IATA. Airports are projected to lose $46 billion in 2020, said Airport Council International (ACI). Although previous pandemics were followed by a sharp recovery, they did not cause recessions as COVID-19 might. This has led to three critical questions about the future of international aviation. When will the impacts of COVID-19 subside – and what will society look like when it does? How long will it take for people to have the funds and confidence to begin flying again? What specifically can be done to ensure the industry survives the crisis? How can we innovate during the downturn to craft a stronger future? The most pressing need for aviation is essential financial support through the pandemic, and in the coming months as society faces future waves of the virus. Beyond support to operators, it is critical to recognize that this situation also creates an opportunity to reflect upon and innovate practices within the industry. We will overcome this challenge, and hopefully build a better future. Key priorities during this time should explore how to mobilize Canada's innovation and research infrastructure towards aviation challenges. We have leading researchers in sustainability, cognitive science and engineering, material science, machine learning, automation, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence among other areas. We are in a position to apply Canadian expertise towards aviation innovations, as important elements of our economic recovery strategy. What is certain is that COVID-19 will change the world – what is unknown is how we can learn from this to create a stronger and more resilient future together. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/covid-19-and-aviation-survival-recovery-and-innovation