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Just weeks after stopping the sale of MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) to US interests, the Canadian Space Agency has announced a four-year contract with MDA to support Canada's contribution to the International Space Station.

Jim Prentice, the Canadian Minister of Industry and the minister responsible for the Canadian Space Agency, has announced a contract valued at $109 million under which MDA will continue to provide logistics and engineering services for the Canadian-made Mobile Servicing System on the International Space Station.

The Mobile Servicing System, a multi-faceted sophisticated robotics system, is Canada's main contribution to the International Space Station and is critical to its assembly, maintenance and servicing. It consists of three elements: Canadarm2, the Mobile Base System and Dextre.

Canadarm2 and the Mobile Base System were delivered and installed on the Station in 2001 and 2002 respectively. Dextre, a special purpose multi-functional robot, was launched and installed on the Space Station in March 2008.

Under this contract, administered by Public Works and Government Services Canada, MDA will continue to provide systems engineering, general technical support, and software maintenance and enhancement. It will also deliver spares provisioning for Canadian robotic components orbiting on the International Space Station.

This will allow Canada to continue to meet its robotics commitments to the International Space Station program.

 

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