Montreal University

Published purpose

The Research component of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Class Grant and Contribution Program to support Research, Awareness and Learning in Space Science and Technology provides financial support to organizations to conduct space related research and development in priority areas. It will support targeted knowledge development and innovation to sustain and enhance the Canadian capacity to use space to address national needs and priorities in the future. The Announcement of opportunity “ Flights for the Advancement of Science and Technology (FAST)” aims at: - Fostering the continuing development of a critical mass of researchers and HQP by providing a training ground for both the current and next generation of scientists and engineers; - Supporting the development of science and technology relevant to the priorities of the CSA through the use of research platforms including stratospheric balloons, aircraft, sounding rockets, nanosatellites, cubesats, ground-based facilities and field sites. More specifically, this project is entitled “BRITE-Constellation Science”. Canadian graduate students and postdocs will be hired to put them at the front lines of astrophysical research with the BRITE (BRight Target Explorer) Constellation space satellite mission - a flotilla of six nanosatellites operated by Canada, Austria and Poland. BRITE Constellation will monitor for long stretches of time the brightness and colour variations of most of the brightest stars visible to the eyein the night sky. These stars include some of the most massive and luminous stars in the Galaxy, many of which are precursors to supernova explosions. Students and postdocs involved in this project will contribute to unprecedented advances in our understanding of such stars and their dominant role in the 'ecology' of the Universe (the life cycles of the current and future generations of stars).