As Canadians, we talk a lot about the importance of exporting our business expertise around the world.
Well, Olga Pawluczyk, CEO of P&P Optica, is taking her business a step further. She’s taking her optical imaging equipment into space.
On June 28, when the SpaceX spacecraft launches from Cape Canaveral, Fla., a P&P Optica spectrometer will be on board.
The device, used to measure light signatures emitted by compounds and elements, will land on the International Space Station.
And what will the technology be doing in outer space? That will be left to the astronauts.
"Our technology’s ability to "see chemistry" and thus to see the chemical makeup of the atmosphere is the same principle behind it's applications in food processing, recycling, and oil production," Kevin Turnbull, VP Sales, P&P Optica said. "In these environments, our technology can provide critical information, inline and rapidly, about quality and efficiency."
Regardless of the results, the use of local technology is a huge win for the Waterloo company. Bjarni Tryggvason, a Canadian astronaut, specifically chose P&P’s device for the mission.
“We are still uncovering ways for spectroscopy to be used creatively here on Earth in applications ranging from mineral mapping to chemical detection, so who knows what it might uncover in space as part of the experiments,” Pawluczyk said.
Established in Quebec in 1995, P&P Optica is a family-owned company run by Pawluczyk and her father Romuald Pawluczyk, who serves as chief scientist. The company moved to Waterloo Region in 2000.
"We are thrilled that our technology was chosen to be a part of the upcoming space mission, and that it will be used on the International Space Station to acquire valuable information about atmospheric composition," Turnbull said.
