Western has been selected by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to work on a concept for developing an innovative compact dual-camera imager for exploring the surface of the Moon.
CSA recently awarded $3.8 million in contracts to advance instrument concepts for its lunar utility rover, which will be designed to handle logistics tasks, support astronauts during spacewalks on the lunar surface and perform science investigations.
Lead investigator Jayshri Sabarinathan and an interdisciplinary Western team, in collaboration with industry partners Mission Control Space Services, INO, LightSail and Spectral Devices, were awarded an initial phase 0 contract from CSA to advance Western's Dual Sensor Multispectral Imager instrument (DS-MSI) for the Canadian lunar utility rover.
The Western-led project also includes Earth sciences professor Catherine Neish, mechanical and materials engineering professor Kamran Siddiqui, Institute for Earth and Space Exploration (Western Space) research coordinator Eric Pilles and Kim Tait, mineralogy curator at the Royal Ontario Museum.
DS-MSI, a made-in-Canada camera system, will be designed to address key lunar science objectives, like characterizing lunar regolith (the loose dust and rock on the Moon, Mars and asteroids), identifying 'water ice' and analyzing critical mineral composition. The Canadian lunar utility rover will be designed to provide critical assistance to astronauts and support operations, including transporting cargo, performing logistics and construction duties on the Moon.
"There are many compelling reasons to study and understand lunar composition. From a scientific perspective, geologists and planetary scientists need detailed information to understand the Moon's formation and evolution. At the same time, this work has real implications for in-situ resource utilization - identifying where water ice exists and mapping the Moon's resources," said Sabarinathan, an electrical and computer engineering professor.
Two iterations of Western's CubeSat alongside the latest version of the Dual Sensor Multispectral Imager instrument (DS-MSI). (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
DS-MSI is capable of providing high-resolution stereo images for rover navigation and features a compact filter wheel (currently under patent application), uniquely engineered to support two camera sensors - one visible to near-infrared (VIS-NIR) and one short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) - with a single, integrated mechanism, unlike traditional designs that use separate wheels or multiple components.
"Our unified filter wheel will be designed to reduce overall size, weight and complexity, which would make the instrument lighter and more compact for deployment on space missions," said Sabarinathan, a faculty member with Western Space.
By rotating the wheel to place different filters in front of each sensor, the design will incorporate methods for accurate multispectral data capture, which is primarily used for monitoring and analyzing the physical, chemical and biological properties of planetary surfaces and atmospheres.
By measuring light in specific signature spectral bands spanning a broad spectral range, including those outside the visible light spectrum like NIR and SWIR, the camera would provide researchers with more detailed information about surface composition and characteristics. Surface composition of a planetary body, such as Earth or the Moon, is a key focus of scientific study for understanding geological history and locating potential critical resources.
"We've been developing our dual camera system for the past few years across a wide range of applications. Different versions of the same camera system are being tailored for agricultural monitoring and methane detection in Ontario's landfills. We're even flying a smaller version on the Skylark CubeSat to track migratory birds," said Sabarinathan. "Looking ahead, the applications for defence are also clear. Whether it's monitoring ice and snow in the Arctic or identifying and monitoring external threats on the ground, it's the same underlying system, adapted for different missions."
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