The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has awarded a $688-million contract to MDA Space to build and launch a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) replenishment satellite. This agreement brings the project into the full build phase. The spacecraft will integrate with the existing RADARSAT Constellation Mission in low-Earth orbit (LEO) to provide continuous Earth observation data.
This contract includes the manufacturing, launch services, commissioning, and ground control enhancements required for the mission. It follows a $44.7-million award from last December designed to acquire long-lead components.
MDA Space will base the new satellite on its fourth-generation CHORUS bus. The hardware will be assembled, integrated, and tested at the company facility in Montreal. The government initiated the procurement to secure domestic data independence and guarantee an uninterrupted flow of SAR imagery across Canada.
The funding represents the largest single component of the $1.012-billion RADARSAT+ portfolio introduced by the federal government in 2023 to maintain sovereign space-based capabilities. The financial award will enter the corporate backlog for MDA Space in the second quarter of fiscal 2026.
“Every day, Canada and Canadians rely on critical Earth observation technology and data to improve maritime safety, surveil the Arctic, respond to natural disasters and monitor the environment,” said Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space. “By leveraging our significant commercial investments in MDA CHORUS, Canadians will benefit from world leading technologies developed right here in Canada to meet those vital needs.”
The original RADARSAT Constellation Mission deployed three satellites in 2019 to replace the aging RADARSAT-2 system. With those assets now approaching the end of their engineered lifespan, civil and defence agencies could face a possible data gap if those assets fail.
Procurement of this replenishment satellite means operational continuity while the government funds parallel concept studies for a complete fourth-generation architecture. Operating a satellite-based SAR network allows the Department of National Defence and federal agencies to track illegal maritime activity, monitor ice flows, map domestic flood zones, and measure agricultural yields without relying on foreign commercial vendors.