Canadian Space Agency awards MDA $269M contract for next phase of Canadarm 3 project

SCI-TECH

Canadian Space Agency awards MDA $269M contract for next phase of Canadarm 3 project

Published Thursday, March 10, 2022 11:02AM EST

The Canadarm 2 reaches out to capture the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft and prepare it to be pulled into its port on the International Space Station, on April 17, 2015. (NASA / THE CANADIAN PRESS / AP)

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BRAMPTON, ONT. -- from the Canadian Space Agency for the next phase of the Canadarm 3 program.

The agreement for Phase B of the program will see MDA complete the preliminary design of the robotics system.

Canadarm 3 is part of the NASA-led Gateway project to establish a space station in lunar orbit.

MDA says it will be a highly autonomous system capable of maintaining itself and making decisions with minimal human intervention.

The contract follows MDA's completion of Phase 0 and Phase A, which established the technical requirements needed for the system.

MDA says the design work is expected to be completed over the next 17 months.

"This is another important milestone for MDA that demonstrates our ability to execute in the rapidly accelerating global space economy and further reinforces our role as a worldwide leader in robotics and space operations," MDA chief executive Mike Greenley said in a statement.

"MDA now intends to leverage its world-class engineering capabilities, mission expertise, and cutting-edge Canadarm3 technology with an eye towards commercializing space robotics products in the years ahead."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2022