MDA awarded initial design phase contract for lunar rover
Media Release: November 11, 2021
Engages expert pan-Canadian team of small businesses, scientists and academics
MDA Ltd. (TSX:MDA), a leading provider of advanced technology and services to the rapidly-expanding global space industry, today announced that it has been awarded a contract by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to undertake a Phase A initial design study for a Canadian Lunar Rover mission to the Moon.
As part of the CSA’s Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP), the Lunar Rover will advance eight key technologies that are foundational building blocks for planetary rovers, including mobility, communications, operations, thermal control for lunar night survival, power generation and storage, and semi-autonomous plus autonomous operations.
The rover will conduct its mission at the South Pole of the Moon, providing the opportunity to explore resources in the permanently shadowed regions, including lunar volatiles and water ice, as well as thermal and radiation safety analysis for future human lunar landings.
MDA has assembled a world-leading team of Canadian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and scientific and academic experts to deliver the LEAP Lunar Rover, paving the way for Canada to establish technologies and capabilities that feed into future commercial lunar supply chains.
· Technology team: Mission Control Space Services; CTA (Centre de Technologies Avancées BRP-UdeS); Institut national d'optique (INO); Clearpath Robotics; Kepler Communications; Xiphos Systems Corporation; Delton Innovations Ltd.; NASA Ames Research Center; University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies; and Carleton University.
· Science team: York University; Western University; Concordia University; University of Hawaii; Stoney Brook University; Ingenium, Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation; and the Natural History Museum. The team will be led by Professor Michael Daly of York University.
· Public outreach, education and engagement: Felix & Paul Studios; and Mission Control Space Services.
“We are proud to lead this highly capable and experienced technical and academic team. With this depth of talent, we believe that our team will surpass the goals of the CSA’s mission while developing state-of-the-art technologies and scientific approaches that will position MDA and the Canadian space industry for the rapidly-growing global space economy, paving the way for future commercial applications on the lunar surface and beyond.”
- Mike Greenley, Chief Executive Officer, MDA
“The science gathered from this mission will position Canada at the forefront of lunar resource planning and prospecting, and will ensure that Canadian science team members will be contributing to an international effort with unique and important measurements, datasets and interpretations. This opportunity will also allow us to train the next generation of Canadian planetary scientists and engineers and grow capability within our scientific community.”
- Professor Michael Daly, Director of the Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, and York Research Chair in Planetary Science, York University
LINKS
Canada is designing a rover for Moon exploration - YouTube
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ABOUT MDA
Serving the world from its Canadian home and global offices, MDA (TSX:MDA) is an international space mission partner and a robotics, satellite systems and geointelligence pioneer with a 50-year story of firsts on and above the Earth. With over 2,000 employees across Canada, the US and the UK, MDA is leading the charge towards viable Moon colonies, enhanced Earth observation, communication in a hyper-connected world, and more. With a track record of making space ambitions come true, MDA enables highly skilled people to continually push boundaries, tackle big challenges, and imagine solutions that inspire and endure to change the world for the better, on the ground and in the stars.
MEDIA CONTACT
Amy MacLeod
amy.macleod@mda.space
613-796-6937