Space Heritage

Configurable Hardware for Multidisciplinary Projects in Space (CHAMPS)

CHAMPS is a modular microgravity research furnace developed for the National Research Council's Space Division. It was flown in a Get-Away-Special (GAS) container aboard the space shuttle STS-67 in June 1993 to investigate GaAs crystal growth by liquid phase electroepitaxy (LPEE).

Combining the advantages of both dedicated and generic experimental facilities, CHAMPS allows investigators to specify their own experimental configuration while at the same time providing them with generic peripherals.

Configurable hardware included thermal and gradient furnace, levitator, etc., while generic peripherals included control and data acquisition, thermal insulation, and ground support equipment.

LAMPS is an experimental facility for laser material processing research in variable gravity environments.

LAMPS allows investigators to specify their own experimental configuration (vacuum sample cell, isothermal furnace, infrared detectors, etc.) and provides them with generic peripherals such as support structure with vibration insulation, power supply, control and data acquisition, high power laser, and beam delivery optics.

LAMPS is based on commercially available components whenever possible, an approach that facilitates reconfiguration and easy upgrade.

The result is a facility that allows rapid and easy access to the variable gravity environment provided by the NASA KC-135, yet is versatile enough for the researchers not to have to compromise on specific experimental requirements.

LAMPS project were coordinated by MPB and the Canadian Space Agency.

Experiments on the KC-135 included laser drilling in liquids (1990), laser drilling in liquids, plastic, and quartz (1991), welds and drilling, holographic interferometry (1991), drilling in glycerol and gelatins, welds and thermal blooming (1992), high Tc superconductors surface treatment, welds and thermal blooming (1993), and containerless solidification, acoustic signature of welds (1994).

Laser Heated Floating Zone Crystal Grower (LATEOR) is based on two CO₂ lasers allowing float zone crystallization of materials up to 3000 degrees C.

It has flown on CSA's Falcon-20 Jet (1993), NASA's KC-135 flights (1993 & 1994), and CSAR-2 sub orbital sounding rocket (1994).

LATEOR was used to grow high temperature super conducting (YBa₂Cu₃O₇) fiber as part of a mission that included the collaboration of CSA and IMI-NRC Technologies Inc.

Microgravity Isolation Mount (MIM) flight hardware was designed to sense and counter the natural background vibrations that occur in microgravity.

The MIM consists of three parts: the control unit, the flotor where the experiments are mounted, and the stator, which is fixed to the spacecraft. The flotor stage uses the principle of magnetic levitation
to steady the experiments.

MIM was built for the Canadian Space Agency's Microgravity Sciences Program, based on an idea by Dr. Tim Salcudean of the University of British Columbia.

MIM was launched into space in April 1996 aboard the Russian Priroda space module, and became a permanent facility on the orbiting space station MIR.

First experiments to use the MIM facility aboard MIR used the QUELD II furnace (Queen's University Experiments in Liquid Diffusion) to develop new alloys and semi-conductor materials.

MIM logged more than 200 hours of operational time on MIR for experiments sponsored by CSA and NASA, and came down when MIR was decommissioned.

see also MIM: A Unique Canadian Space Technology (CSA)

ARF is an aquatic research facility for life science experiments in microgravity. Designed and built by MPB, for the Canadian Space Agency and NASA, it fits in a mid-deck locker of the Space Shuttle.

The facility opens up suitcase-style and holds 6 small containers that house two miniature aquariums in each half. When closed, the facility provides controlled light, temperature, and video imaging.

During the experiments, one carousel stays still, while the other rotates 86 times a minute. This unique design allows for both zero-g (space) and simulated one-g (earth) environments at the same time. On ground, a twin ARF replicates the sequence, providing two more control groups.

The Aquatic Research Facility (ARF 1) was launched with STS 77 Space Shuttle in May 1996. On this mission, the three experiments carried out were on early embryonic development, ocean ecology, and bone calcium loss.

"All of this technical capability was built into a single shuttle mid deck locker, the size of a suitcase. This was one of the most complex miniature payloads to fly on a space shuttle." from the Aquatic Research Facility web page on the CSA web site.

ARF, opened, in MPB Laboratories

Standard configuration of one of the six containers installed in ARF, each holding two miniature aquariums.

The RADARSAT Precision Transponder (RPT) is a C-band active radar target with a large effective radar cross-section that has been calibrated to extreme accuracy.  Under contract to the Canadian Space Agency, MPB Technologies Inc. completed the design, development, manufacture and installation of four high-precision active transponders for the calibration of the RADARSAT synthetic aperture radar (SAR).

The transponders are installed across Canada (at Fredericton, Ottawa, Prince Albert, and Resolute Bay) such that RADARSAT can be calibrated from one of the units with every pass over the country. They are under remote control from a central facility in Ottawa.

Schedules, pointing instructions, and other information can be transmitted to the transponder controller from the RADARSAT Canadian Data Receiving Operations Center (CDROC) via modem. The CDROC also houses a maintenance PC which communicates with the local transponder-PCs at the transponder sites for maintenance purposes.

MPB also built three transponders for ESA, for the calibration of the ASAR transponder on the ENVISAT earth monitoring satellite. These units are located in the Netherlands, and will serve to calibrate the satellite not only in amplitude, but also in phase.

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