In just over the last month the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has awarded $20.6 million in contributions as part of the Space Technology Development Program (STDP) AO 6. The third, and most recent list of awards was posted to their website yesterday. The contributions went to 20 different companies with more than half going to small businesses, including several first time winners, and for some very interesting technologies.
The first set of awards was announced on June 30 and included 14 awards to eight companies for a total value of $9 million. The second set of awards was released ion July 9 and included 10 awards to eight companies for a total value of $4.5 million.
Areas of focus with multiple awards include communications and Earth Observation. Companies getting their first STDP contracts include Garrow Space Systems Inc., Global Spatial Technology Solution, Wyvern, 4pi Lab Incorporated, Edgehog Advanced Technologies, TransEON Inc. and others in this years awards.
The Space Technology Development Program AO 6 categories and list of awards
The STDP AO 6 was announced on August 12, 2019. It has five categories.
- AO 6.1 Space R&D – Advanced technologies: Non-repayable contributions of up to $1 million for R&D space projects with the potential of economic benefits in the short to medium term, between 2 and 5 years. Initial technology readiness level (TRL) for these projects is expected to be TRL 4 or TRL 5.
- AO 6.2 Space R&D – Small businesses: Non-repayable contributions of up to $250,000 for R&D space projects carried out by small businesses.
- AO 6.3 Space R&D – Feasibility studies: Non-repayable contributions of up to $100,000 for feasibility studies related to space system design projects for technologies with strong commercial potential.
- AO 6.4 Space R&D – Next wave technologies: Non-repayable contributions of up to $500,000 for R&D space projects with the potential of economic benefits in the medium to long term, between 5 and 10 years.
- AO 6.5 Space R&D – Suborbital Capability Demonstration: Non-repayable contributions of up to $300,000 for R&D space projects with the potential of economic benefits in the short to medium term, between 2 and 5 years.
It should be noted the CSA postponed A0 6.5 in January, the Suborbital Capability Demonstration. No reason was given.
The latest contracts announced include:
AO 6.1 Space R&D – Advanced technologies
- Kepler Communications Inc. ($481,128) – Toronto, Ontario: Advanced Antenna Technology for Telecommunication Nanosatellites.
- Integrity Testing Laboratory Inc. ($936,800) – Markham, Ontario: Development of a dual vertical/horizontal loading ion-beam vacuum facility for novel space material processes.
- Teledyne Optech ($1,000,000) – Vaughan, Ontario: AI-Enabled 2-Axis scanner.
- C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. ($1,000,000) – Ottawa, Ontario: Ka-band phased array antenna system for broadband mobile HTS-SATCOM applications based on modular architecture.
- Magellan Aerospace ($328,775) – Winnipeg, Manitoba: Next-Generation Spacecraft Command and Data Handling (C&DH NextGen).
AO 6.2 Space R&D – Small businesses
- Garrow Space Systems Inc. ($116,000) – Vancouver, British Columbia: Project Centauri – Development of a fuel-efficient propulsion system.
- DPL Science ($108,476) – Montreal, Quebec: Intelligent Power Switch (iSwitch).
- Stratodynamics Aviation Inc. ($247,125) – Kenilworth, Ontario: Suborbital aerodynamics and remote sensing.
- Global Spatial Technology Solutions ($200,710) – Dartmouth, Nova Scotia On-board AI Computer Vision Solution Architecture for Space Applications.
- Wyvern Inc. ($235,463) – Edmonton, Alberta: Deployable optical telescope for high-resolution LEO Earth observation.
- 4pi Lab Incorporated ($250,000) – Calgary, Alberta: Development and testing of the EPiC-lite Camera System to Detect Very Small Wildfires.
- Complex System Inc. ($243,740) – Calgary, Alberta: On-board satellite video generation technology for automated smart satellites.
- B-Con Engineering Inc. ($218,455) – Nepean, Ontario: Process to design, manufacture, and confirm metrology to make improved metal optics for space systems.
- Edgehog Advanced Technologies ($250,000) – Montreal, Quebec: Edgehog anti-reflective coverglass for enhanced space solar panels.
- Nüvü Caméras Inc. ($250,000) – Montreal, Quebec: High-performance cooling system for faint flux imaging detector.
- evolutionQ Inc. ($231,402) – Kitchener, Ontario: Optimized Protocols and Architecture for Satellite-Based QKD Network.
- TransEON Inc. ($249,774.15) – Edmonton, Alberta: High-Performance GAN MOSFETs for Enhanced Spaceborne MMICs.
- Lux Aerobot ($250,000) – Montreal, Quebec: Semi-autonomous long-endurance aerobot.
AO 6.3 Space R&D – Feasibility studies
- Kepler Communications Inc. ($99,314) – Toronto, Ontario: Feasibility Study of Beamforming Radiofrequency Integrated Circuits.
AO 6.4 Space R&D – Low Technology Readiness Level
- MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Inc. (formerly Neptec Design Group Ltd.) ($452,694) – Kanata, Ontario: Hemispherical Camera for Space Situational Awareness.