The University of Winnipeg

Research Projects

The range of projects in which C-TAPE is involved is constantly changing and evolving. C-TAPE list of publications provides a more comprehensive overview of recent and current projects. Recent and ongoing projects include:

  • Conducting laboratory spectroscopic studies of how heating and exposure of carbonaceous chondrites to the space environment affects them and how heated or pristine materials can be recognized (in support of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, and analysis of data from the Dawn mission to Ceres)
  • Examining the spectral reflectance properties of organic materials to aid in their identification on Mars and the surfaces of asteroids (in support of the OSIRIS-REx, Mars Science Laboratory, and Mars 2020 missions)
  • Determining the optical transmission properties of a range of Mars-relevant geological materials (in support of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter NOMAD instrument for studying the composition of airborne dust on Mars)
  • Developing spectroscopy-based, non-destructive techniques for analysis of cultural artifacts (paintings, statuary) to support conservation, restoration, and provenance studies of cultural artifacts
  • Conducting systematic studies of the spectral reflectance properties of Mars- and planetary-relevant mineral groups, such as carbonates, magnetites, phyllosilicates, and garnets