Canada: Textiles find their way into space

Dr. Nicole Buckley, Director of Life and Physical Sciences at the Canadian Space Agency, sees many opportunities for the textile industry... in space! Dr. Buckley will be presenting a paper entitled "A New niche for Canadian textiles - in space!" at Expo Hightex (Montréal) on 8 October 2009.
She will outline various ways that Canadian textiles could - and should - get involved in the Canadian Space Program, with a particular focus such as radiation protection and mitigation of the negative effects of spaceflight where we help is needed now.
Technological areas where textiles are already applied, such as crystallized cellulose, could offer new solutions. Indeed, few people are aware of the technical challenges in space that textiles can overcome, for example, clothing contributes significantly to a spacecraft's mass.
But that's just the beginning - an astronaut loses bone mass ten times faster than a person suffering with osteoporosis, and this is another area where Canadian intelligent textiles can play a role through new technologies.
Canada's links with NASA and the other International Space Station's participating countries may also open further opportunities to involve our high-tech textiles in global space programmes. Above and beyond the benefits of pushing the industry's technical capacities to the hilt, in terms of marketing this key business cluster also stands to benefit.
Dr. Buckley joined the Canadian Space Agency in 2000, and has held various positions in the field of Space Life Sciences, including her current position, in which she leads Canadian scientific research on the International Space Station in the fields of Space Life Sciences and Physical Sciences.
She was awarded a degree in Oral Biology (the University of Manitoba) and has pursued postdoctoral studies in molecular biology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and the Université Laval.
Come to Expo Hightex at Bonsecours Market, 7-8 October 2009, and increase your knowledge of how the pursuit of the final frontier can boost local industry in unexpected ways.
About Expo Hightex 2009: Expo Hightex, 7-8 October 2009, Montreal, showcases the latest technological advances to encourage technological and commercial partnerships. A not-to-missed industry event, it attracts one thousand business and research leaders.
Though its focus is Canadian textiles, the conferences and networking opportunities are aimed at such industries as aerospace, health, protective equipment and construction. It is organized by CTT Group, a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to technological and commercial development.