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caused by the interaction between materials ejected from the Sun and theEarth’s atmosphere and magnetic field.Atmospheric SciencesSeveral atmospheric science projects that have been operating for several yearscontinue to work well and are returning a wealth of useful scientific data. Theseinclude:• SCISAT is a Canadian-built satellite launched in 2003 that carries theAtmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE), which collects data related to thedepletion of the ozone layer in the Earth’s stratosphere, particularly over Canadaand the Arctic. It’s providing the accurate measurements of chemicals that affectozone, which protects Earth from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet radiation.ACE has also collected data on water vapour in the stratosphere that have beenuseful in studies of climate change and it has measured the distribution ofmolecules correlated with air pollution and biomass burning, data thatcomplement the observations of the MOPITT satellite.• MOPPITT (measurements of pollution in the troposphere) is Canada’scontribution to NASA’s Earth Observing System, an international environmentalresearch project. One of five instruments aboard NASA’s Terra satellite, it tracksatmospheric concentrations and global movements of carbon monoxide (CO), agas produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and burning biomass,such as forest fires and agricultural burning. Its measurements are used toassess pollution levels in the lower part of the atmosphere (troposphere.)MOPITT is the first instrument to document the movement of pollutants over longdistances across continents and oceans and it has enabled scientists to createthe first global pollution maps.• OSIRIS (Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imager System) -- this is aCanadian-built instrument flying aboard the Swedish satellite Odin. It is designedto produce global vertical profiles of the ozone layer. The instrument alsomeasures concentrations of the ozone-destroying gases nitrogen dioxide andbromine oxide, as well as water vapour in the upper atmosphere and smallsulphate particles. These data are important for understanding climate changeand the health of the ozone layer.20
Life And Physical SciencesPerceptual Motor Deficits in Space (PMDIS)York University neuroscientist Barry Fowler has completed a study investigatingwhy there are deficits in the ability of astronauts to perform fine motormovements in space. His results were based on tests done in 2007 withastronauts from two Space Shuttle flights, working on the International SpaceStation, who performed aiming and tracking tasks on a computer.The findings refute the predominant scientific theory that performance deficits infine eye-hand coordination tasks are caused by the effects of microgravity on thebrain’s vestibular (balancing) system. Instead, Fowler concluded the deficits areprimarily due to the stresses of living in space, including space sickness, sleepdeprivation and heavy workloads. He said the key to reducing these problems ispre-flight training and reasonable scheduling of in-flight tasks. He also found thatastronauts’ bodies must be restrained while performing fine motor movementsbut arm restraints are not necessary.Fowler said the study has implications for future long-duration missions. Thefindings suggest that using a centrifuge to create artificial gravity and reduce thephysiological effects associated with microgravity should not negatively influencefine motor performance.ELERADScientists at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia have confirmed that C.elegans worms can be used as biological radiation dosimeters in space. Thesefindings are based on analysis of genetic damage in worms that spent sevenmonths on the International Space Station in 2006 and 2007, producing betweenfive and 10 generations of animals.The goal of the project was to validate advanced technologies developed byCanadian researchers to analyze genetic mutations caused by space radiation.In this proof-of-concept experiment, the science team successfully used a devicecalled a DNA-array chip developed by the BC Genome Centre to identify geneticmutations in a line of C. elegans returned from space.These worms were chosen because they’re widely used in medical research onEarth and their genome is well understood. About half their genes are similar tohuman genes, so the scientists believe the results of the study will be applicableto humans.21
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