New Moon Rising: International Space University

Fast forward to the year 2024.

An international group of scientists prepares to launch the next phase of human advancement: the colonization of outer space. The first step of the journey is to build a settlement on the surface of the moon – starting with the construction of a lunar biosphere. The plans outline a series of self-contained modular habitats radiating from a central core. The biosphere will be able to fully support life within a controlled environment – by virtue of closed loop habitat systems. It will accommodate a crew of aerospace scientists, engineers and technologists for extended missions of up to three years at a time.

The name of this project is Luna Gaia: the first moon base and stepping stone to future settlements within our solar system. Conceived and developed by students of the International Space University (ISU), Luna Gaia was a key result of ISU’s 2006 annual Summer Session Program (SSP) held in Strasbourg, France.

Each year, an elite group of postgraduate students and young professionals arrive from all over the world to attend a nine-week intensive session focused on the future of space exploration. For 19 summers running, a different student from Ontario always participates in this life-changing program – thanks to the continuing sponsorship of Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE).

Luna Gaia: Operation Moon Base The environment of Luna Gaia is designed to mimic our own planetary biosphere in miniature – complete with interconnected ecosystems of microbial, plant and animal life. The Luna Gaia design architecture employs a modular, hybrid bioregenerative network of systems to produce reliable sources of oxygen, water, energy, food growth and waste processing. Engineered to recycle all essential materials, the lunar biosphere will serve as the testing ground for future extraterrestrial settlements. Next stop: the red planet, Mars. Closed Loop Life Support System (definition): An environmental control system that works to create a habitable environment in a sealed space such as a spacecraft or biosphere – and which fully recycles all supplies used in that environment.

The Next Generation.

In 2006, OCE proudly sponsored Natalie Galley, an exceptionally talented graduate student in Aerospace Engineering at University of Toronto.

A self-confessed “space geek,” Natalie applied to attend the summer program through the Canadian Foundation for the International Space University (CFISU) – which typically selects about ten Canadians each year for the program.

OCE has a longstanding connection with the aerospace industry, and encourages and supports future top scientific talent in the province. Each year, OCE sponsors an applicant from Ontario, as selected by the CFISU. With her strong academic credentials, bilingual background and incredible enthusiasm, Natalie Galley was a natural fit.

The feeling was mutual. ISU, according to Natalie, “presented an academic and cultural experience unlike anything I’d encountered before. In a word: ’Amazing!’”

A World of Fascination.

From the start, Natalie was struck by the unique focus of the university: “The model for ISU is the 3I educational philosophy –International, Inter-cultural and Interdisciplinary.” An intensive and stimulating mix of hands-on projects, classroom lectures, panel discussions, and visits from alumni and high-level aerospace experts, the ISU summer program has run annually since 1988. The Program moves to a different international university campus every summer – returning in 2006 to ISU home base in Strasbourg.

The sheer diversity of the class was equally inspiring; Natalie was one of 104 students from 27 different countries. “One of the great thrills for me was meeting people from all over the world – Japan, China or Russia.” Her fellow students represented every kind of academic background, including humanities, life sciences, information technology, business and management, law, architecture, and aerospace.

Charting New Frontiers.

Team projects are the core of the program. Conducted over the second half of the session, the projects involve students in one of several cutting-edge issues in aerospace.

Natalie was attracted to the Luna Gaia project – A Closed Loop Habitat for the Moon: “We split up the whole idea of building a lunar base into different sub-topics: engineering, life-support system, transportation system, and more.” Encouraged to work outside her skill-set, Natalie worked on the project’s commercial and corporate policy development, looking at the lunar base from a business standpoint.

Natalie was also chosen to join the editorial team to create a 150-page overview detailing every aspect of the Luna Gaia project. They would create a complete guide to planning, building and sustaining the first-ever moon base: with an intense deadline of only four weeks.

Over the Moon.

While the focus of her ISU project revolved around the lunar base, Natalie Galley was equally impressed by the human element of the Summer Session Program: “One of the big draws of the program is the opportunity to meet such a diverse group of people – this year’s class brings the total alumni up to 2,400 people who’ve done the same program and shared the same passions as you do.”

Natalie is now working on her Ph.D. at Cornell in Ithaca, New York, and the ISU experience still reverberates in both her mind and her email inbox. She is now actively connected to a global network of students and alumni she first encountered in Strasbourg. Given the international scope and collaborative nature of aerospace, it bodes well for the young Ontarian’s future.

The program has also exerted a strong pull on her PhD studies. Clearly inspired by the interdisciplinary nature of ISU, Natalie is focusing on biomechanical engineering “to study the knee joint as a mechanical system.” Her specific interest is in improving procedures and success rates for orthotic surgery, but she posits a career path with “a definite future connection to space.” Keen to explore that fertile territory “where machines meet humans,” she cites Canadarm as a brilliant example of how it might all one day connect.

Encouraging those kinds of connections – in network and thinking – is precisely the goal of OCE’s Talent program. Natalie is a shining example of the promise it holds for Ontario: a true rising star.