Aerospace

Electrical & Computer Engineering

Mechanical & Industrial Engineering

Graduate Students

Space

Institute of Biomedical Engineering

UTIAS

Subheadline

“We worked on this project for so long with such a narrow focus that actually seeing it deployed was very rewarding”

Students in the �ؿ�ζSM’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering recently gathered in the basement of the Sandford Fleming Building – known to many as “The Pit” – to witness the deployment of HERON Mk. II into space.

The 3U CubeSat satellite, built and operated by the space systems division of the �ؿ�ζSM Aerospace Team (UTAT), was launched into orbit on a Falcon 9 rocket on Nov. 11, 2023 as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-9 rideshare mission that lifted off from the Vandenberg Space Force Base near Lompoc, Calif.

The feat was entirely student funded with support from U of T Engineering through student levies and UTAT-led fundraising efforts.

“The experience of the launch was very surreal,” says master’s degree student Benjamin Nero, HERON’s current mission manger.

“We worked on this project for so long with such a narrow focus that actually seeing it deployed was very rewarding.”

“There are any number of things that could go wrong that might prevent a satellite from deploying,” adds Zachary Teper, a fellow master’s degree candidate who is part of the technical development team working on HERON’s ground station.

“So, watching each of the call outs coming out of the SpaceX mission control, seeing the rocket go up and meet every one of its mission objectives and then finally seeing our satellite get ejected out of the dispenser in the correct trajectory was a big relief – because we knew that it was finally in space and on the right path.”

Members of the UTAT space systems division gather on the sixth-floor roof of the Bahen Centre for Information Technology with the fully assembled ground station (photo by UTAT Space Systems)

Launching HERON – short for High frequency Educational Radio communications On a Nanosatellite – was the culmination of years of teamwork that brought together the efforts of more than 100 students.

HERON Mk. II, the second iteration of UTAT’s spacecraft, was originally designed and built between 2016 and 2018 for the fourth edition of the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge. Since space systems division was formed in 2014, many of the students who worked on the initial HERON design and build have since graduated. But the current operations team continued to develop the satellite and renew the student levy that allowed them to secure their space launch.

“The original objective for HERON was to conduct a biology experiment in space,” says Nero, who joined the team in 2019 during his second year of undergraduate studies. “But because of delays in the licensing process, we were unable to continue that mission objective. So, we re-scoped and shifted our focus to amateur radio communication and knowledge building.”

From left to right: HERON Mk. I (2016), HERON Mk. II Prototype (2018), HERON Mk. II Softstack (2020), HERON Mk. II Flight Model (2021) (photos by UTAT Space Systems)

Once the satellite’s final assembly was completed in 2021, the team began flight model testing and assembling a ground station, while also managing the logistics of the regulatory approvals needed to complete the launch.

“It’s difficult to put something in space, both technically and bureaucratically,” says Nero. “There are a lot of different governments that care about what you’re doing and want to know when and how you’re doing it.”

Getting to space was a significant milestone for the team, but it’s still only the beginning of their work.

“The goal for us as a design team is to start gathering institutional knowledge that we didn’t have before,” says Reid Sox-Harris, an undergraduate student who is HERON’s ground station manager and the electrical lead for UTAT’s next space mission, FINCH (Field Imaging Nanosatellite for Crop residue Hyperspectral mapping).

“We’ve never operated a satellite. So, we’re taking a lot of lessons learned with us through this process.” 

For example, when a satellite is deployed for the first time, the ground control team only has a rough idea of its movement and eventual location. They must simulate the launch to figure out exactly where it is before they can establish a connection. And when they receive new positional data, they must rerun their simulation.

“We have to take into account effects such as air resistance, or the sun’s solar cycles and the gravitational effects of the sun, the moon and the Earth – it’s a fairly complicated simulation,” Sox-Harris says.

Nero adds: “Part of the difficulty with a simulation is that a model is only useful for a certain period. An old estimate could result in as much as a few kilometres of drift from the satellite’s actual position per day.”

HERON’s ground station on the roof of the Bahen Centre (photo by UTAT Space Systems)

The team was not only tasked with designing a ground station capable of communicating with a satellite more than 500 kilometres away, but one that can survive a frigid and snowy Canadian winter.

“For any project, the most important thing you should be doing is testing,” says second-year student Swarnava Ghosh, who primarily works on the ground station software. “One challenge with our ground station currently is that there are too many variables that are not fully tested – and everything needs to be perfect in the chain for the communication to work. If the ground station is not pointing in the right direction, we won’t get a signal and we won’t establish communication. And if the amplifier is not working, then we won’t establish communication.” 

The team is confident that they will ultimately resolve any outstanding issues and establish communications with HERON. More importantly, they will be able to take what they’ve learned and apply it to the next mission.

“With FINCH, we want to make sure the ground station software and satellite can communicate on the ground,” says Sox-Harris. “Right now, there are over 500 kilometres between the satellite and ground station, so we can’t fly up there and test whether a command has worked.”

FINCH is set to launch in late 2025 on a rideshare rocket flight. Its current mission objective is to generate hyperspectral imaging maps of crop residue on farm fields in Manitoba from a low-Earth orbit.

There are many technical developments that are new to FINCH that weren’t applicable to HERON, the team says, including a novel optic system for remote sensing that is being developed by students.

“The risks associated with FINCH are mitigated by the work that is being performed by HERON right now. We’re learning many lessons that will be directly applicable to our next mission, and we’ll continue to learn from HERON for at least another year or more,” says Sox-Harris.

“This means the FINCH mission can be more complicated, it can move faster and ultimately we can have better reliability, which is something that we always strive for in aerospace.”

U of T engineering and life sciences students to test how changes in gravity affect human genetics

geoff.vendeville — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 17:12:39 +0000

U of T engineering and life sciences students to test how changes in gravity affect human genetics

geoff.vendeville Wed, 08/18/2021 - 13:12

Cutline

Astronaut David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency takes pictures of the Earth below from inside the International Space Station's "window to the world," the seven-windowed cupola (photo courtesy NASA)

Christina Heidorn

Topic

Breaking Research

Life Sciences

A team of �ؿ�ζSM students is preparing to see its research take off next week.

They are among just six university teams from across Canada selected to conduct a study in a microgravity environment aboard the National Research Council Canada’s (NRC) Falcon 20 jet – the same plane used to train the Canadian Space Agency’s astronauts.

As part of the Canadian Reduced Gravity Experiment Design Challenge (CAN-RGX), the team – called TelOmG – has spent the past year designing and building a unique experiment to examine the impact of space flight on astronauts’ genes.

The members of team TelOmG, from left to right, are Erin Richardson, Anthony Piro, Miranda Badovinac in the top row; Taylor Peters, Dunja Matic, Luca Castelletto in the middle row; Samantha Aberdein, Emma Belhadfa, Nicole Richardson, Krish Joshi, and MacKenzie Campbell in the bottom row (photos courtesy of team TelOmG)

During the flight, scheduled for Aug. 19, the students will investigate the effects of changes in gravity on the genetic regulation of human telomeres. Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of our chromosomes that are linked to genomic stability. Shortening of telomeres is associated with aging, while lengthening can be associated with cancer.

The idea for the experiment came to team lead Erin Richardson, a fourth-year student in engineering science in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, while reading NASA’s landmark Twins Study, an investigation of spaceflight’s effects on the human body. The study focused on American astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent nearly a year in space, and his twin brother Mark who remained earthbound, and found Scott’s telomeres unexpectedly grew longer during his space flight. They returned to normal shortly after his return to Earth. In contrast, his twin’s telomeres remained stable during the same period.

“Our experiment investigates whether this increase in telomere length was due to reduced gravity or some other factor, such as increased radiation or stress during the space flight,” says Richardson.

Flying parabolic manoeuvres on the NRC’s Falcon 20 will allow the team to isolate microgravity from the other factors present on the International Space Station. However, while Kelly spent months in space, the experiment will only undergo five, 20-second periods of microgravity.

The students had to devise a way to test whether telomeres are affected by microgravity in under 20 seconds. “Telomere length won’t change that fast,” says Richardson. “The key was to focus on the transcription of the genes that control them. Previous studies found transcriptomes changed significantly within 20 seconds of altered gravity.”

Richardson recruited other students from engineering science's aerospace and biomedical systems majors as well as from the life sciences. In addition to Piro, the team includes: MacKenzie Campbell, a graduate of engineering science and master's student in chemical engineering; Dunja Matic and Taylor Peters, both in their fourth year of engineering science; Emma Belhadfa and Luca Castelletto in year three of engineering science; year three life science student, Miranda Badovinac; and Grade 12 students Samantha Aberdein, Krish Joshi, and Nicole Richardson.

The aerospace engineering team members focused on designing and building the physical apparatus, while biomedical systems and life science students designed and tested the experiment’s scientific methods.

“One of the beautiful things that happens when you bring together people with so many different backgrounds, is the ingenuity in the questions they ask each other,” says Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez, an associate professor at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering and chair of engineering science's biomedical systems major. “Those questions often challenge dogmas and assumptions and can ultimately lead to amazing discoveries.”

To test their hypothesis that microgravity contributes to changes in gene transcription related to telomeres, the students will “freeze cells in time” by preserving their nucleic acids before and after each short period of microgravity. They will analyze the nucleic acids after the flight for changes in the expression levels of genes that regulate telomeres.

The experiment’s apparatus consists of a syringe filled with a stabilization solution and connected to a series of chambers containing live cells. The electronic control system will inject the solution into the correct chamber when manually triggered by the students on board the flight just before and after each period of microgravity. Some samples are frozen before any periods of hypergravity or microgravity to control for environmental conditions on board the jet.

The TelOmG injection system (graphic courtesy of team TelOmG)

The entire experiment had to fit into a 50-centimetre cube and weigh no more than 45 kilograms, among other constraints. “Little things that you wouldn’t normally consider are much more challenging in microgravity,” says Castello, the team’s mechanical lead.

“For example, we had to ensure everything is absolutely leak-proof and secured so that there’s no chance of small components or liquid floating around the plane’s cabin. Since we are dealing with cells, we had to create a sterile system while also minimizing bubbles that could interfere with our fluid pathways.”

Team TelOmG presented their proposal at the Johnson Space Centre Astronomical Society in June and has been invited to share their findings at the International Astronautical Congress in Dubai in October.

Conducting research during a pandemic presented additional challenges. Access to wet labs and lab safety training was restricted. “We’ve been blown away by the support we received from professors, researchers and private companies during this time,” Belhadfa says. “They helped us to get what we needed when public health restrictions created obstacles.”

Team members also had to work on components in isolation for many months. “Normally when we work in a team and something goes wrong during equipment testing, we have a good laugh together,” Castelletto says. “It’s a lot less funny when you’re all alone in your house.”

Planning and testing a complex experiment from start to finish has been an eye-opening journey for the team. “From our experiences in design courses like Praxis, we knew to expect things not to go as planned,” Campbell says. “We really learned to take a wide view of the project and lean on our project management skills.”

High-flying U of T alumna helps pioneer all-electric personal aircraft

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 15:18:56 +0000

High-flying U of T alumna helps pioneer all-electric personal aircraft

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 04/26/2021 - 11:18

Cutline

Kristina Menton stands next to two prototypes of Opener's BlackFly, an all-electric, single-passenger aircraft capable of vertical take-offs and landings (photo courtesy of Opener LLC)

Topic

Mechanical & Industrial Engineering

Sustainability

Kristina Menton loves airplanes. “I love everything about their aerodynamics, the beauty of the physics that make them fly,” says the alumna of the �ؿ�ζSM’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.

Lately, Menton has been experiencing those aerodynamics first-hand.

She’s the director of operations, flight testing and propulsion at Opener, a company developing an all-electric, single-passenger aircraft capable of vertical take-offs and landings called the BlackFly.

“It’s not a flying car, because it doesn’t have wheels and it can’t go on the road,” she says. “It is a personal aerial vehicle. It takes someone from point A to point B – through the sky.”

Menton didn’t apply for a job at Opener – the company came looking for her while she was still an undergraduate student in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering. She already had experience with jet engines, having interned with Pratt & Whitney Canada through U of T Engineering’s Institute for Multidisciplinary Design & Innovation.

But her new job was something else entirely.

“I loved working in aerospace, but, generally speaking, it’s a slow-moving industry,” she says. “What made this exciting was the chance to be at the leading edge of something new, which is electric aviation. I’m not someone who generally says no to a challenge.”

At first, Opener was operating in stealth mode; Menton couldn’t even tell her friends and family what she was working on. Within a year, she was made head of propulsion. Soon after, she got her first chance to take a test flight.

“I had seen the aircraft fly autonomously for thousands of kilometres, so I knew it was safe,” she says. “I also spent a lot of time in the simulator, so the controls felt quite natural. I just sat back to enjoy the ride, which was even smoother than I expected. Being able to see 180 degrees across the horizon, to just float there in the air – it was a very enjoyable experience.”

In the summer of 2018, the company launched its website, enabling potential customers to see the BlackFly in action. If all goes according to schedule, the first batch of vehicles will be for sale by the end of this year.

Menton says there is “no such thing as a typical day in the office” at Opener, and that every one of the company’s 50 employees needs to wear multiple hats.

For example, in addition to her work on propulsion design, Menton recently took on the role of flight testing co-ordinator. Managing field safety protocols, personnel and service schedules, hardware availability and changing weather conditions across three test sites has been a challenge, Menton says. But she adds that time management is one of her strengths.

“I remember when I was in first year, I found for the first time that I couldn’t do everything I wanted to,” she says. “I was working on problem sets with my classmates until 2 a.m., and then I had to be up for varsity basketball practice at 6 a.m. You learn how to function under pressure, and how to get everything filed into slots throughout the day.”

During her undergrad, Menton also managed to carve out time to participate in high school outreach programs for young women who may be considering engineering careers. In part, she wanted to give back after being mentored by female professors such as Dean Emerita Cristina Amon and Professor Jean Zu, who is now dean of the Schaefer School of Engineering and Science at Stevens Institute of Technology.

Menton recently appeared in the “Changemakers” issue of the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business magazine.

What advice would she give to those who want to follow in her footsteps?

“Learn to deal with failure,” she says. “It’s going to happen, and it’s going to happen unexpectedly, but the ability to deal with that failure is what matters.”

Menton also notes that women are still forced to overcome challenges in the workplace.

“As you climb the ranks, you’ll notice fewer and fewer women around you. At those times, it’s important to speak your mind, to not take ‘no’ for an answer and to find other women who can support you. I’ve had those mentors and I continue to find them now. They can help you keep pushing for what you actually want.”

At age 18, U of T's youngest grad has accomplished more than most – and she's just getting started

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 27 May 2020 17:40:26 +0000

At age 18, U of T's youngest grad has accomplished more than most – and she's just getting started

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 05/27/2020 - 13:40

Cutline

In addition to earning an undergraduate degree in engineering science, Maddy (Xiaoxiao) Zhang speaks three languages, danced ballet and has a black belt in taekwondo. She plans to pursue a master's in aerospace engineering (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

Subheadline

"A lot of learning in one person"

Maddy (Xiaoxiao) Zhang knew how to read by the time she was two years old. By Grade 1, she had mastered multiplication tables.

At age 11, she visited the �ؿ�ζSM on a family trip from Beijing, fell in love with the old buildings on campus and decided she wanted to study here one day.

That day came just three years later. Zhang was the youngest student in her year when she began in 2016 and probably the youngest-ever student in engineering science, a demanding program in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering where students simultaneously learn Newtonian mechanics, epsilon-delta calculus proofs and human-centred engineering design.

Next week, Zhang, now 18, will obtain her undergraduate degree at an age when most students are just beginning university. After saying her good-byes to her “engineering science family” in Toronto, she’s off to the Netherlands to pursue a master’s in aerospace engineering.

“Over the past four years, I feel I’ve been working toward a goal of making sure that age is not my only narrative,” she says over the phone from her university dorm, where she’s lived the past four years.

“I don’t want it to be the only thing that defines me.”

To be sure, she’s no different from most other students graduating from U of T this June. Like her classmates, Zhang has ambitious plans — in her case, earning another degree and making a meaningful contribution to her chosen field: aerodynamics and sustainable aviation. At the same time, she shares that, just like anyone else, she faced unexpected setbacks and navigated periods of self-doubt, particularly in first year.

“Everyone learned a lot about engineering and also everyone probably learned more about who they are and who they want to be, and it's the same case with me,” she says.

Maddy Zhang (left), works on a robotic arm in 2017 with first-year classmates, Lorna Lan (centre) and Brytni Richards (photo by Roberta Baker)

When Zhang arrived on campus, she was a shy, diminutive 14-year-old with purple glasses. But she still managed to blend in seamlessly with the other first-years.

Charlie Keil, the principal of U of T’s Innis College, was notified that a particularly young student was moving into the Innis residence, but it was only much later, during a dinner on campus for new students in residence, that he learned who that student actually was. “A student beside me, who I’d been talking to already, whispered ‘I’m the girl who’s 14’,” he recalls. “I had no idea.”

As he got to know Zhang over the years, Keil says he had formed the impression that being younger than her peers wasn’t much of a challenge for Zhang. “She possesses a preternatural amount of self-confidence and approaches things very positively,” he says.

Zhang didn’t keep her age a secret, but she didn’t bring it up unless she had to. Even still, word spread among her classmates that there was a 14-year-old in their midst. One day, in a course on structural engineering, one of her teammates on a project tried to solve the mystery by guessing other students’ ages. When Zhang told him she was the youngest student, he couldn’t believe it.

“He jumped out of the chair,” Zhang recalls. “He was 20 at the time, so I guess he felt a bit old.”

Kim Lau became friends with Zhang in first year. On the surface, they seemed an unlikely pair: a minor and a mature student who, just shy of her 30th birthday, had gone back to university after working as a dental hygienist.

Lau, who speaks Cantonese, called Zhang “mei mei” (little sister) – but Zhang joked that Lau’s intonation made it sound like she was saying “beautiful lady.”

More than her age, it was Zhang’s attitude that impressed Lau. Zhang was always game to learn new things and seemed to know a lot already. She rides a unicycle around campus. She draws for fun – and as a way to sharpen her mind and learn to focus. She’s fluent in two languages, Mandarin and English, and can get by in Norwegian.

She’s also a black belt in taekwondo and dances ballet. (She started taking martial arts and dance classes at the same time because her mom wanted her to be “elegant but tough,” according to Zhang.)

“That’s a lot of learning in one person,” Lau says.

When Zhang’s 16th birthday finally rolled around, Lau planned to make the event one Zhang would remember. After a workshop, a weary Zhang headed back to the engineering science students’ common room. When the lights flicked on she saw she was surrounded by friends and two Costco sheet cakes – one vanilla, one chocolate – set out on a long table.

“That was just so heartwarming,” Zhang recalls. “Every time I feel lonely or miss my home, I think to that moment and I know that I’m never alone because engsci are like my family, sort of. In a weird way, since I left home I feel like engsci sort of raised me.”

Left: Zhang cuts a cake at a surprise16th-birthday party organized by her fellow classmates. Right: handwritten messages in a birthday card (photos courtesy of Maddy Zhang)

Even for someone as bright as Zhang, university wasn’t always easy. In her first year especially, Zhang missed her parents who live outside of Canada. And she felt insecure about her grasp of programming, which she hadn’t studied before university unlike many of her classmates.

“I realized that all I needed was confidence,” she says. “When I started university there were a lot of things I needed to overcome. Some of these things were because of my age; some were not.”

Zhang could always count on her engineering science family for support – in Toronto and beyond. She made friends on the other side of the Atlantic through a programming internship at a tech startup in Norway. The thought of a 15-year-old interning at a tech company was unusual enough to land Zhang in the Norwegian news. Her boss raved about her independence, talent and impressive grasp of Norwegian after just a few short months (Zhang still practises Norwegian with Duolingo and by reading the Norwegian newspapers out loud).

She put her Norwegian to good use again last summer, when she landed a research position at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim through U of T’s Engineering Science Research Opportunities Program (ESROP). There, she worked with Associate Professor Jason Hearst, a U of T engineering science alumnus, on a project related to the physics of turbulent flows. On Zhang’s first day in the lab, Leon Li, a PhD candidate and another U of T alumnus, took her around the room making introductions, making sure to point out Zhang’s age.

“Universal shock,” he recalls. “I quickly learned not to think ‘when I was your age, I was …’ because there was just no comparison.”

Zhang specialized in the aerospace stream of engineering science in part because it combines interesting math and physics, but also because air travel has many sustainability-related hurdles to overcome.

Her involvement in U of T’s aerospace team, which designs and builds drones, rockets and satellites, also got Zhang hooked. “Seeing a man-made thing fly is just so satisfying,” she says. “It’s like magic.”

From a sustainability point of view, “it can have a really large impact and there are so many challenging problems that still exist,” she says, citing efforts to reduce drag and noise.

She points to another sustainability-minded teenager as inspiration.

“Greta Thunberg, she’s around my age basically,” she says of the Swedish environmental activist who is just one year Zhang’s junior. “She did an amazing job being an activist … but I want to work toward the same goal in my own way – in my engineering way.”

She pressed on toward that goal in her final year working on research with Philippe Lavoie, an associate professor and associate director of the Centre for Research in Sustainable Aviation at U of T’s Institute for Aerospace Studies, or UTIAS. The results of that research are being prepared for publication in a scientific journal.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has grounded flights around the world and raised questions about the future of air travel, Zhang is undeterred. Borrowing language from robotics, she says she’s “activated this control system.”

“When there are disturbances along the way – and COVID is like one giant disturbance – just make sure you have a goal in mind, and you can adjust your daily life around that, but still aim toward that goal.”

The next stop in her academic journey is the Delft University of Technology, where she will be pursuing a master’s degree in aerospace engineering on a full scholarship that covers tuition and living expenses.

Although Zhang says she took the “express pass” to university, she’s not afraid to slow down and take everything in.

She plans to celebrate her graduation by watching U of T’s virtual convocation event on June 2 and having a video call with her closest friends. She may also take a stroll around campus, if the sun is shining, and perhaps squeeze in a little work. One thing that’s not in the cards: celebrating with a glass of champagne. That, she says, will have to wait until she is of legal drinking age.

Why do astronauts get cavities? U of T students drill into the data

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 22:24:23 +0000

Why do astronauts get cavities? U of T students drill into the data

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 12/13/2019 - 17:24

Cutline

Astronauts Daniel Bursch and Frank Culbertson brush their teeth in orbit (photo by JSC/NASA)

Topic

Canadian Space Agency

Chemical Engineering

Research and Innovation

Space

U of T Mississauga

Curiosity and a passion for research is taking four �ؿ�ζSM students to the final frontiers of health and space. The student research team recently presented a paper at an international conference of space experts – the first step in a process that could inform future research into the dental woes of space travellers

Rachel Stubits, a third-year molecular biology student at U of T Mississauga, is lead author on the project, which seeks to understand why astronauts suffer more dental problems than their earthbound peers.

She got the idea for the project in 2018 when she stumbled upon a fact that piqued her curiosity.

“Dental caries – also known as tooth decay or cavities – are the single-most non-communicable disease in the world,” says Stubits. “More than 97 per cent of people on Earth will experience it at some point in their lifetimes.”

While prevention and treatment protocols on Earth are well-documented, Stubits wanted to know more about those who didn’t have ready access to treatment.

“I wondered about people who are really far removed from our health-care system,” she says. “You can’t get much farther away than space.”

Rachel Stubits and her co-researchers – two current U of T students and one alumna – presented their work at the 70th International Astronautical Congress in Washington, D.C. (photo by Saumya Mathur)

Tooth decay occurs when sugar-loving bacteria produce acidic by-products that can erode tooth enamel and, if untreated, lead to painful infections. The issue is particularly problematic for astronauts, with some studies suggesting that prolonged exposure to microgravity may increase the prevalence of dental caries.

Space agencies currently manage dental health with pre-flight assessment and prevention measures and post-flight treatments, but dental abscesses are the main medical reason behind medical evacuation from spacecraft because it’s difficult to treat in space.

The statistics behind current research warrant further investigation. “There are so many differences between humans on Earth and humans in space that could be contributing to the incidence rate of dental caries,” she says, noting that variables such as air quality, diet, hygiene or even gravity itself may contribute to the development of dental caries.

“It’s difficult to pinpoint because of the small sample size and the number of variables.”

In October 2018, Stubits joined U of T’s Aerospace Team to develop a protocol for a review of literature about the issue. Her co-authors include fellow U of T Mississauga molecular biology student Anisha Hundal, chemical engineering undergraduate student Claire Velikonja and alumna Wendy Yao, whose expertise includes global health and immunology. Their project lays the groundwork for a more detailed literature review that could inform future research into dental health in space.

The team completed the protocol project in the summer of 2019 and, with funding from the Canadian Space Agency, Yao travelled to Washington, D.C. in October to present the team’s work at the 70th International Astronautical Congress. The event draws an international and multidisciplinary group of agencies, companies, associations and institutes to advance knowledge and foster global cooperation in the development of space assets.

“It’s so exciting to have the Canadian Space Agency take a chance on students,” Stubits says.

The group’s work is an important first step in the process of solving the problem of cavities in space.

“Dental caries will become a bigger problem as the duration of space missions become longer and people are travelling in space for months or even years,” Stubits says. “We hope to solidify our understanding of the incidence rate, what is potentially causing it and the possibility of microgravity being the culprit.”

In early 2020, the team will begin work on a scoping review to discover potential patterns within the existing research. “There may be a difference in the ability of Streptococcus bacteria to succeed in causing dental caries in space without gravity,” Stubits says. “We would love to see this review help researchers in this field – especially those who study simulated microgravity on Earth – to decide what to focus their efforts on.”

“I think working on a literature review is one of the most successful research formats for undergraduate students with a bit of extra time on their hands.This is all about collaboration, and it’s something that I love about research.”

Expanded horizons: U of T student Saanjali Maharaj interns at NASA, seeks to inspire women in STEM

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 19:59:42 +0000

Expanded horizons: U of T student Saanjali Maharaj interns at NASA, seeks to inspire women in STEM

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 07/23/2019 - 15:59

Cutline

Fascinated with space since she was a small child, Saanjali Maharaj met astronaut Yvonne Cagle during her internship at NASA's Ames Research Centre (photo courtesy of Saanjali Maharaj)

Liz Do

Topic

Our Community

Space

Entrepreneurship Hatchery

Saanjali Maharaj’s summer research internship at NASA was a high point in a life spent pursuing all things outer space.

It started with watching Star Trek at age four. She later joined astronomy club at school and spent a summer at the �ؿ�ζSM’s Da Vinci Engineering Education Program (DEEP) Summer Academy, where she took a course on spacecraft and orbital mechanics.

Now as a third-year engineering science student, she – not surprisingly – chose to major in aerospace.

Yet, while space exploration is incredibly exciting to Maharaj, she’s also keen to see what studying that stars can accomplish closer to home.

“I’m learning that there are also many aerospace applications that can improve life on Earth,” says Maharaj, who is interning at the NASA Ames Research Centre in Moffett Field, Calif.

At NASA, Maharaj is part of a team developing drones to assist emergency responders in controlling wildfires.

Part way through her internship, Maharaj recently chatted with U of T Engineering writer Liz Do about her NASA experience so far.

What made you want to pursue this internship?

The fantastic epics my father told me when I was little, featuring the voyages of the Starship Enterprise, began my fascination with space.

And in the wake of NASA’s Artemis program, which includes putting the first woman on the moon, for me – a young woman with a penchant for aerospace – NASA was the ideal organization at which to intern.

Tell me about your internship.

I am a research intern in the branch of Rotorcraft Aeromechanics. I’m a member of a three-person team working to develop a drone to assist emergency responders in controlling wildland fires. My focus is on thermal systems, so I’m responsible for ensuring that our drone is able to withstand the extreme temperatures.

What’s the experience been like?

It has been a completely surreal experience – I’m surrounded by some of the greatest minds in the field. We are fortunate to have a summer seminar series, which allows us to attend talks such as a discussion on the Artemis Mission by the chief scientist of NASA, and a seminar on black hole imaging by computer scientist Katherine Bouman.

Apart from these talks, it feels like a privilege to be immersed in an atmosphere where innovative ideas are constantly being discussed and explored, so that even the simple act of eating in the cafeteria becomes an opportunity for learning and exposure.

What does a typical day look like?

On my way to and from work, I pass the iconic Hangar One, a decommissioned zeppelin hangar, and the world’s largest wind tunnel.

In the office, we have regular team meetings and check-ins with our mentors. A couple times a week, we get an email from the head of the aeromechanics department, Dr. William Warmbrodt, announcing special events like a talk by the creator of RotCFD, a high-tech tool for aerodynamic simulations, or a tour of the drive system of the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex Wind Tunnel.

After work, I sometimes go for a run and look to see which planes are parked at the airfield on base.

A group photo of the NASA aeromechanics interns in front of their building (photo courtesy of Saanjali Maharaj)

What have been some of your highlights?

I was privileged to tour some amazing facilities, like the NASA Advanced Supercomputing facility and the Mars Roverscape.

I’m also in the process of training to use the various facilities available at the Space Shop, the makerspace here, including the 3D printers and laser cutters. After spending a lot of time at the Myhal Centre’s Light Fabrication Facility last semester, I’m excited to be in a similar environment.

How will this internship contribute to your future endeavours?

The placement has allowed me to expand my horizons beyond space in terms of future topics for research.

I’m excited about the project I was assigned since wildfires are a common occurrence in my home country of Trinidad and Tobago, where we experience six-month dry seasons. I hope to continue working on this topic and similar projects in the future to have a meaningful impact on communities throughout the world.

I’m also grateful for the opportunity provided by this placement to make connections with well-established researchers in the industry. I make it a point to attend every talk and learn about the contributions that are being made in the aerospace field.

What do you hope to do once you graduate?

I wish to pursue graduate studies in the aerospace field. My hope is to work in the aerospace industry and promote research and development in this field in Trinidad and Tobago, since – while we have many brilliant minds – there is still not enough investment in this industry at present.

I hope to inspire future generations, and especially encourage young girls to pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Here, I have the opportunity to meet many amazing women in the field, and I want to continue that culture of mentorship.

A place for space? U of T startup builds out a global satellite network – from downtown Toronto

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 16:25:34 +0000

A place for space? U of T startup builds out a global satellite network – from downtown Toronto

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 03/15/2019 - 12:25

Cutline

Co-founders Jeffrey Osborne and Mina Mitry say they're luring back Canadian talent from around the world as Kepler Communications builds out a network of 140 pint-sized communications satellites (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Topic

Creative Destruction Lab

Global

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Rotman School of Management

Located above a strip of Spadina Avenue populated by nail salons, currency exchange vendors and a leather supply store, the fourth-floor office of Kepler Communications looks like that of any other tech startup – exposed heating ducts, open concept layout, a large conference table for meetings.

That is, until you spot the control room.

Inside the glass walls, an operator stares at a bank of six large computer screens that display data from Kepler’s tiny communications satellites as they streak overhead, from pole to pole, at an altitude of about 600 kilometres. Above his head are four clocks displaying the local times of Kepler’s ground-based antennae in Markham, Ont., Inuvik, N.W.T., and Svalbard, Norway, as well as co-ordinated universal time or UTC.

With 30 employees and counting, it's all part of Kepler's grand plan to build a low-cost constellation of 140 communications satellites over the next several years.

“We're going to be a global telecommunications network,” says CEO Mina Mitry, who did both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at U of T in aerospace engineering.

“That's not something to shy away from. For the cost of the capital expenditure we've incurred, who else in the world has been able to do that?”

With two satellites already in operation, Kepler is currently test driving a product called Global Data Service with customers. The high-bandwidth service allows companies to send bulk data from fixed locations or moving vessels anywhere in the world – not unlike a space-based Dropbox. Already companies are using the service to send data from remote locations, including the High Arctic, where there is either no ground network infrastructure or satellite transmission costs are prohibitive. In the near future, Kepler also plans to help companies track shipping containers, construction equipment and other assets around the globe.

Ultimately, Kepler's grand vision includes extending its low-cost network connectivity beyond Earth so that satellites and other space vehicles can talk to each other, paving the way for a host of novel applications – from real-time tracking of autonomous vehicle fleets to monitoring first responders working in disaster zones.

"When we get to that stage, we will be right on the cusp of not only providing true connectivity globally, but also extra-terrestrially – other devices that are up in orbit, which have traditionally never had that form of connectivity.”

From paper aircraft to the real thing: U of T graduates develop next-gen drone

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 18:14:10 +0000

From paper aircraft to the real thing: U of T graduates develop next-gen drone

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 01/11/2019 - 13:14

Cutline

The DX-3 Vanguard is put to the test at Markham Airport. The hybrid drone features vertical take-off and landing, long-range communications and cloud-based analytics (photo courtesy of the Sky Guys)

Topic

Research & Innovation

Jeremy Wang’s career in aerospace engineering started with folding a simple paper airplane.

Today, he’s leading a team of designers – including many fellow �ؿ�ζSM engineering graduates – to create and test an ambitious long-range drone capable of vertical takeoffs and landings.

In his first year as an undergraduate, Wang picked up a cleverly-designed paper airplane flyer from the �ؿ�ζSM Aerospace Team, or UTAT, at the engineering club fair.

“I distinctly remember thinking ‘I’m not interested in aerospace, I’m never going to use this,’” he says.

“But for reasons that I honestly don’t remember, I ended up going to their first meeting with a bunch of friends and thought ‘Wow! This is actually really cool.’”

Wang would eventually become the group’s executive director and lead a major expansion of the team. His work earned the attention of the New York-based Aviation Week Network, which named him to a prestigious industry list of future engineering leaders.

But it was his co-op position at The Sky Guys, a local drone company, that set him on the path to his current project. Now the firm’s chief technology officer, Wang and a nine-person team aim to design an unpiloted aerial vehicle, or UAV, that combines the best features of both fixed-wing and multi-rotor drones.

Traditionally, fixed-wing UAVs are optimized to fly long distances, but they require a long runway or launch rail to take off and land. By contrast, multi-rotor UAVs can perform vertical take-off and landings, but are less efficient for long-distance flying and have a shorter battery life.

The teams’ creation – the DX-3 Vanguard – features multiple rotors spread across a fixed-wing body making it capable of vertical takeoffs before transitioning into forward flight. The hybrid aircraft can theoretically carry a payload of up to three kilograms, stay aloft for up to 24 hours, and cover up to 1,500 kilometres before refuelling.

Wang says the prototype can communicate via radio, cellular or satellite signal. “As a pilot, you can be flying the DX-3 Vanguard in Toronto while the drone itself is flying on the west coast of Canada, and you can maintain connectivity over satellite link,” he says.

The drone is also equipped with a cloud-based data management system, allowing users to process, upload and view images and video data from the DX-3 on a secure platform.

Such a drone could be used for a wide range of applications. While Wang declined to provide details specific to the DX-3, he reveals that one of the Sky Guys' key partners is the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. The team was awarded a $750,000 innovation grant in 2017 to develop an artificial intelligence-enabled drone to perform highway enforcement tasks. These could include determining the number of passengers in high-occupancy vehicle lanes, tracking the speed of drivers or monitoring road conditions.

Current federal regulations prohibit drones from flying beyond line-of-sight without a special permit, but Wang remains optimistic regulations will change in the near future. The team has begun early-stage testing of the DX-3 within visual range at Markham Airport, north of Toronto, with plans to test equipment without line-of-sight in the future.

The prototype drone can communicate via radio, cellular or satellite signal, potentially allowing the operator to fly from the other side of the country (photo courtesy of Sky Guys)

So far, the team has evaluated basic functional and performance characteristics, including conventional takeoffs and landings, payload envelope and communications. But the biggest challenge the team had to overcome was human in nature.

“Aerospace engineering involves so many disciplines that have to work together in unison – mechanical, electrical, flight operations, etc. – without necessarily understanding what each person is doing,” says Wang.

“The challenge was nailing that interdisciplinary coordination.”

In addition to Wang, the team includes alumni Lucais Kwon, Carl Pigeon, Carson Dueck, Hussein Khimji and Thomas Ulph, many of whom were also involved in UTAT.

“I think this team is a testament to U of T engineering,” Wang says. “The faculty provides a very solid and rigorous academic foundation, but also a very rich co-curricular environment where you can join design teams, take part in competitions and supplement theory with experiential learning.”

“It’s also kind of nice to have that continuity between friends you meet in university and the people you spend most of your day with,” he adds.

“It’s what I’m most excited about when I come to work every day.”

Bombardier invests in Toronto aerospace hub, creates U of T research centre on aircraft noise

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 13:44:05 +0000

Bombardier invests in Toronto aerospace hub, creates U of T research centre on aircraft noise

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 06/21/2018 - 09:44

Cutline

An aerial shot of Toronto’s Downsview Airport, where the Downsview Aerospace & Innovation Research hub is based (photo by Rene Beignet via Flickr)

Chris Sorensen

Topic

City & Culture

Institute for Aerospace Studies

Research & Innovation

Bombardier Inc., the Canadian aerospace giant, is planning to spend millions to help establish an aerospace research hub near Downsview Airport with the �ؿ�ζSM and other local academic institutions as key partners.

The Montreal-based maker of planes and trains said Thursday it will invest $1.5 million over five years to fund core research at an “aeromaterials research centre” at Downsview, where it’s part of a consortium of industry and academic partners, including U of T, called the Downsview Aerospace & Innovation Research, or DAIR.

Starting next year, Bombardier is also investing $1 million over five years to set up new research centres at U of T and Ryerson University that will be focused on acoustics and advanced interiors, respectively. There will also be funding for landing gear research by Centennial College and the extension of a training program at the college’s Downsview campus.

“The idea that this would be well-funded and give us further collaborations with Bombardier is very exciting,” said Chris Damaren, the director of the �ؿ�ζSM Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), adding the institute also plans to seek collaborative research grants from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Damaren noted that UTIAS has worked with Bombardier on several projects in the past, and that DAIR’s vision includes eventually relocating UTIAS to Downsview Park from its current home near Dufferin Street and Steeles Avenue.

In addition to investing in academic and research activities, Bombardier said it will also support DAIR’s operations, providing $900,000 over three years, and work to preserve Downsview’s aerospace heritage. That includes spending $2.5 million to refurbish a heritage building on the Downsview site.

Other DAIR partners include Centennial College, York University, Canadensys Aerospace, Safran Landing Systems, Pratt & Whitney Canada, MDA, Flight Safety Canada, Honeywell and UTC Aerospace Systems.

Bombardier, which recently announced plans to sell its manufacturing site at Downsview and relocate the operation to Toronto Pearson International Airport, said it’s hoping greater collaboration between industry, academia and government will spur innovation in the Ontario aerospace sector.

“Since acquiring de Havilland in 1992, Bombardier has built strong relationships with local institutions to promote aerospace research and innovation,” François Caza, the vice-president of product development and chief engineer of Bombardier’s aerospace division, said in statement.

“Through this partnership with DAIR, we commit to supporting the development of this unique ecosystem for many years to come.”

Philippe Lavoie, an associate professor at UTIAS, will be one of two U of T researchers working with Bombardier to reduce aicraft noise (photo by Neil Ta)

From U of T’s perspective, the DAIR consortium represents an opportunity to deepen its relationship with one of Canada’s most innovative global companies in an industry that contributes about $28 billion to the Canadian economy.

“The �ؿ�ζSM is thrilled to be working alongside Bombardier, as well as the rest of the DAIR consortium, to build out an innovation hub at Downsview,” said Vivek Goel, U of T’s vice-president of research and innovation.

“Bombardier has the size, scale and ambition to turn the cutting-edge aerospace research of its academic partners into real-world applications with the potential to reach millions.”

Philippe Lavoie is one of two U of T researchers who will be working on noise reduction with Bombardier as part of the new UTIAS research centre. He said aircraft noise is a growing issue as global air traffic increases and urban growth leaves more airports surrounded by housing.

“What the aerospace industry is trying to do is make the noise footprint small enough that it fits within the airport itself,” said Lavoie, who is an associate professor at UTIAS.

While today’s jet engines are quieter than ever thanks to the advent of geared turbofan technology, the same can’t be said of other aircraft parts like wing slats and flaps and landing gear – which is where the U of T researchers will focus their attention.

“Historically engines were the number one sound emission by far, basically drowning out everything else,” Lavoie said. “But, in recent years with the advent of high bypass ratio turbo engines, they’re getting to the point where other components like high lift devices and landing gear can now be heard.”

The challenge, of course, is figuring out novel ways to reduce the noise signature of these components without compromising their core functions – a problem Lavoie says he and fellow UTIAS researcher Alis Ekmekci, who will also be working with Bombardier, are well-positioned to help solve.

“We’re really hoping to have a significant impact on the next generation of airplane that will come out of Bombardier,” he said.

Less satellite, more data? U of T startup will connect the world from space

ullahnor — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 16:28:28 +0000

Less satellite, more data? U of T startup will connect the world from space

ullahnor Fri, 03/24/2017 - 12:28

Cutline

Kepler Communications, an award-winning team of engineering alumni, is building satellites so small that they're no larger than a loaf of bread

Jennifer Robinson

Author legacy

Jennifer Robinson

Topic

Creative Destruction Lab

Hatchery

Startup