A team led by Western University has won a $3.8M Phase 0 contract from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to develop a dual-camera imager that would be used on the Moon as part of a Canadian lunar utility rover.
The Western team is led by electrical and computer engineering professor Jayshri Sabarinathan. The Western team includes collaborators in Earth sciences, engineering, and Western’s Institute for Earth and Space Exploration. The Royal Ontario Museum is also on the team.
Western also has industry partners including Mission Control, INO, LightSail and Spectral Devices.
The dual-camera imager under development is known as the Dual Sensor Multispectral Imager instrument or DS-MSI and according to the Western press release “will be designed to address key lunar science objectives, like characterizing lunar regolith (the loose dust and rock on the Moon, Mars and asteroids), identifying ‘water ice’ and analyzing critical mineral composition.”
Western added that the “DS-MSI is capable of providing high-resolution stereo images for rover navigation and features a compact filter wheel (currently under patent application), uniquely engineered to support two camera sensors – one visible to near-infrared (VIS-NIR) and one short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) – with a single, integrated mechanism, unlike traditional designs that use separate wheels or multiple components.”
Professor Sabarinathan said, “There are many compelling reasons to study and understand lunar composition. From a scientific perspective, geologists and planetary scientists need detailed information to understand the Moon’s formation and evolution. At the same time, this work has real implications for in-situ resource utilization – identifying where water ice exists and mapping the Moon’s resources.”
In July 2025 the CSA awarded three companies contracts for Lunar Utility Rover concepts including Canadensys Aerospace, MDA Space and Mission Control. The companies have 18 months to complete their respective studies.