MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (TSX:MDA) has landed multimillion-dollar contracts in the U.S. to develop a program for reusing components from defunct satellites to service working ones in space.
The contracts, worth a total of $26.7 million, is with U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Naval Research Laboratory (NRL).
MDA, which built the Canadarm used on the Space Shuttle, will provide its know-how in satellites and robotics in a program designed to take parts from defunct or decommissioned satellites that are still in orbit and reuse them on functioning ones.
MDA will work with the NRL to provide two primary robotic manipulator arms. The Richmond-based company would also provide robotic tools, cameras, tool caddies and the design for a “hyper-dexterous robot.”
“MDA’s heritage of robotics and on-orbit servicing successes are a good match for the DARPA Phoenix program,” said MDA CEO Daniel Friedmann. “We look forward to working with DARPA to demonstrate space infrastructure servicing.”
According to MDA, a critical element of the concept is the ability to launch components into space frequently and cost effectively by “piggybacking” them onto commercial satellite launches. MDA will design the delivery method for that system.
