The Canadian Space Agency has awarded two more contracts from the 2023–24 Space Technology Development Program (STDP) call for proposals. The additional contracts go to MDA Space ($999,999) and Calian ($329,929).
The total funding allocated to date from the 2023–24 STDP program is $4.7 million.
These new awards are:
- MDA Space – Will design, build and test a compact active sensor prototype that could be used for lunar exploration. Such sensors could assist rovers in navigating and detecting their surroundings during planetary missions. To withstand the Moon’s harsh conditions, these compact active sensors must surpass the performance of current lidar systems used for navigation.
- Calian – Will design, develop and test a prototype planning system aimed at enhancing satellite operations efficiency and minimizing the need for manual intervention by satellite operators. This technology has the potential to support a variety of space missions and maximize benefits of satellite services.
Calian had previously won a 2023-24 STDP contract for Spectrum Interference Simulation ($288,413) contract announced in April 2024.
The spectrum interference simulation software is designed to “help the CSA coordinate frequency for the ongoing shared use of valuable Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum,” particularly for Earth observation missions.