- February 5, 2009
- Posted by: EARSC
- Category: Archive
(5 February 2009) Com Dev International Ltd. today announced that it has been awarded a Cdn$ 5.4 million contract to begin work on Phase B of the Canadian Space Agency’s Radarsat Constellation Mission (RCM).
The contract will be with MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd (MDA). Com Dev’s role includes the development of key payload subsystems, with a focus on risk retirement and testing of early prototypes. Work on this phase is expected to be completed at Com Dev’s Cambridge facility over the next 14 months. The program will be funded in phases and Com Dev anticipates being involved on follow-on activities for final design, qualification and build of its payload subsystems.
“The existing Radarsat spacecraft are world renowned for their breakthrough capabilities, and we are very excited to be participating in the next generation of the program which will advance that technology even further,” said John Keating, CEO of Com Dev. “This program will be one of the largest ever undertaken by the Canadian Space Agency, and will provide a multitude of benefits to Canada.”
The Radarsat Constellation will be a specialized fleet of Earth Observation satellites designed to complement the Canadian Space Agency’s legacy Radarsat Program by providing more timely and comprehensive data than is currently available. The baseline mission includes three satellites planned for launch in 2012, 2013 and 2014, but the constellation is designed to be scalable to six satellites. The constellation’s objectives include frequent surveillance and monitoring of Canada’s coastal areas, northern territories, Arctic waterways, maritime areas of strategic interest and resource management across the country. The Radarsat Constellation will also support Canada’s contribution to global disaster management and surveillance.
About Com Dev
Com Dev International Ltd. is a leading global designer and manufacturer of space hardware subsystems. With facilities in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, Com Dev manufactures advanced products and subsystems that are sold to major satellite prime contractors for use in communications, space science, remote sensing and military satellites.
(source: Com Dev) and Spacenews
