Hon. Tony Loffreda: Honourable senators, as the saying goes, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

Tel Aviv University Canada is literally reaching for the stars as it aims to launch its first nanosatellite advancing innovative climate change tools and solutions. Known as the Ilan Ramon Memorial Project, this trailblazing initiative is named after Israel’s first astronaut and a Tel Aviv University graduate who sadly perished in the Columbia space shuttle disaster 20 years ago.

The project is chaired by Sylvan Adams, a world-renowned Canadian-Israeli businessman, and supported by Israeli businessman Eytan Stibbe and Canadian philanthropist Mark Pathy, both of whom participated in last year’s privately funded Ax-1 mission to the International Space Station.

We were reminded this week by the UN that climate change remains one of the biggest challenges of our time. Canada can speak with first-hand experience about the devastating impact it has and will continue to have on our nation. The devastation of recent events like Hurricane Fiona in Atlantic Canada, floods in B.C., melting ice in the North and forest fires remind us all of our vulnerability.

For the sake of our collective well-being, we must find urgent and sustainable solutions to fight, mitigate and adapt to our changing planet, so it’s important that we reach for those stars while remaining grounded in reality.

And the reality on the ground is there is some urgency before us. The UN report explained that “. . . limited research and/or slow and low uptake of adaptation science . . .” is a key barrier to climate change adaptation.

Tel Aviv University is answering that call by seeking to become a global academic centre of excellence in the field of space science and engineering, while developing nanosatellites that advance Israel’s edge in climate change action and carbon emission reduction.

Its nanosatellite has the potential of unlocking scientific data that can monitor current environmental problems like plastic pollution in the oceans, forest fires, methane leaks from oil and gas pipelines, melting Arctic ice and urban heat islands for more sustainable cities.

Honourable senators, many years ago, I had the honour to visit Tel Aviv University and was impressed by its state-of-the-art campus and modern research and scientific facilities, which is why I endorse this initiative.

I invite all Canadians to support and learn more about the Ilan Ramon Memorial Project and the immense potential of its climate-change-fighting new nanosatellite as we encourage Tel Aviv University Canada to reach for the stars. Thank you.

Hon. Tony Loffreda introduced Bill S-259, An Act to designate the month of March as Hellenic Heritage Month.

(Bill read first time.)