Companies awarded $2.4 million to develop ground systems behind RADARSAT+. <\/p>\n
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The Canadian Space Agency has awarded $2.4 million to three Canadian companies tasked with developing the ground systems that will control the country\u2019s next generation of satellites.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The news: The agency announced on Thursday that Brampton-based MDA Space, Ottawa-based Calian, and Toronto-based Kepler were each awarded $804,000 contracts to develop ground-segment concept studies for RADARSAT+<\/a>, Canada\u2019s next-generation satellite system.<\/p>\n Ground segments are the Earth-based satellite control and data management systems. With these contracts, the companies are expected to deliver concepts for a modern, flexible ground system. They must also deliver a plan to develop and implement the system and an overview of its key technologies.<\/p>\n From the source: \u201cThese investments support a next-generation satellite system that reinforces Canada\u2019s space sector as a sovereign capability and reflects our broader efforts to strengthen Canada\u2019s defence industrial capacity, while driving innovation across our space sector,\u201d Industry Minister M\u00e9lanie Joly said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n RELATED: MDA Space aims to deliver up to 400 satellites per year after Montr\u00e9al facility expansion<\/a><\/p>\n Following the thread: The Government of Canada allocated just over $1 billion<\/a> in 2023 to support the country\u2019s Earth observation satellite needs. The data is used for everything from monitoring illegal fishing activities to assisting disaster relief efforts.\u00a0<\/p>\n MDA Space and Kepler are already part of the project\u2019s space segment. Alongside C-CORE, in December they were awarded $747,000<\/a> each to deliver concepts for a new satellite. MDA was also awarded nearly $45 million to purchase specialized parts for the job.\u00a0<\/p>\n Final thought: Canadian firms have been benefitting<\/a> from the country\u2019s renewed interest in space, particularly after the launch of the Defence Industrial Strategy<\/a>, which named the domain one of Canada\u2019s key sovereign capabilities. Under that strategy, the government recently committed $225 million<\/a> to build out Canada\u2019s ability to send its own rockets into space. Kepler CEO Mina Mitry told BetaKit<\/a> in April that the country\u2019s enormous land mass makes space the only credible vantage point to monitor all of it.<\/p>\n