Canadian climate technology built with western know-how to be part of a joint mission with NASA

Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and intensity, and the dynamics of the Earth’s atmosphere are constantly changing. A new pan-Canadian collaboration as part of NASA’s Atmosphere Observing System (AOS) mission will measure aerosols, water vapor and clouds and their interactions to affect Earth’s weather and climate.

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will work with NASA on AOS with its High-altitude Aerosols, Water vapor and Clouds (HAWC) mission.

The mission consists of two Canadian instruments on a Canadian satellite and a third instrument on a NASA satellite, all scheduled for launch in 2031. These innovative instruments will provide critical measurements that will enable Canadian climate scientists and weather forecasters to better understand extreme events and predict severe storms, floods, droughts and poor air quality.

In many satellite missions such as HAWC, the value of the measurements is greatly enhanced by combining satellite measurements with surface sensors.

Western is well positioned to support this mission as it is home to the Canadian Micro-Pulse Lidar Network (MPLCAN), which collects measurements of aerosol and cloud properties 24 hours a day. Lidar stands for Light Detection and Ranging and is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure height profiles of water and ice clouds and pollutants in the earth’s atmosphere.

“The services we can provide to the public and the science we can provide from these measurements will be enhanced by combining the satellites’ high-resolution measurements along their track and measurements at fixed locations on the surface,” said Robert (Bob) Sica, professor of physics and astronomy and leader of the MPLCAN project.

Canadian collaborators on the HAWC mission include the CSA, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Natural Resources Canada and the National Research Council of Canada, and 13 universities, including Western.

“HAWC is more than a science mission; It promises to provide new services to improve our predictions about the weather and future climate change, and to warn the public about extreme weather events. Combining the HAWC and MPLCAN measurements and incorporating them into forecast models in real-time will improve our forecasting capabilities, particularly in relation to severe weather events such as wildfires, floods and tornadoes,” said Sica, faculty member at the Western Institute for Earth and Space Research (western space).

François-Philippe Champagne, Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry, announced on October 18 that Canada will contribute more than US$200 million to this major multi-satellite mission. Currently scheduled to launch in 2028 and 2031, AOS will improve extreme weather forecasting, climate modeling and disaster monitoring.

“Canada has always played a key role in international space programs, helping to find solutions to global challenges. Today’s announcement of more than $200 million builds on those achievements with our participation in NASA’s AOS program. It also speaks to our commitment to using science and research to address climate change, natural disasters and other issues that matter to Canadians,” said Philippe-Champagne.

Western Space Director Sarah Gallager helped develop this collaboration when she served as an advisor to the CSA Executive on science, science policy and capacity development issues in the space sector.

“NASA sought expertise from Canadian scientists and industry to contribute to AOS,” Gallagher said. “This is a testament to the quality of our atmospheric science community and I am so proud that this community includes amazing researchers at Western. “