TRLUP – Conceptual study of next-generation spacecraft components

The global space sector has seen massive growth in recent years, fueled by lower launch costs and increased commercial access. Yet, many spacecrafts still rely on decade-old hardware designs. Innovation in spacecraft components remains limited. The industry’s strong preference for “space heritage” makes it slow to adopt cutting-edge systems, even if they are flight-proven by major science missions like the James Webb Space Telescope.

In Canada, 93% of space companies are small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and are disproportionately affected by this issue. While Canadian firms are highly active in R&D, many innovations become “technology orphans”. These are technically viable solutions that are commercially un-adopted due to limited flight heritage. Space agencies like NASA and the European Space Agency have launched technology demonstration programs to validate commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) or industrial components in space. This project explores how the outputs of that program can be repurposed to meet the needs of Canadian space SMEs and reduce the risk of “technology orphan” solutions in aerospace R&D.

The project will combine technology scouting, stakeholder interviews, and early-stage prototyping to identify and develop a minimum viable product (MVP) concept. The project will focus on optical components such as infrared cameras or multispectral imagers to reflect the intern’s academic background, though other concepts may be explored based on industry needs and opportunity. Through a structured 4-month program, the intern will deliver a business report, concept prototype, and pitch deck. These outputs will assess both the technical feasibility and market potential of selected concepts to build a practical bridge between under-utilized flight-ready technology and real business needs in Canada’s evolving space ecosystem.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jolen Galaugher;Janfizza Bukhari

Student:

Partner:

North Forge

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Education; Management of companies and enterprises; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Red River College Polytechnic

Program: