Following the recent award of the $32 million Surveillance of Space 2 (SofS 2) contract to MDA Space, UK-based Spaceflux has been selected as the optical systems provider for the program’s three new ground-based observatories.
Under the agreement—which Spaceflux described as a multi-million-dollar contract, though no specific value was disclosed—the company will supply its optical technology and proprietary Cortex AI platform to the new facilities in Alberta, Manitoba, and New Brunswick. The Canadian Armed Forces expect these observatories to be delivered by 2028. The resulting network is designed to track orbital objects ranging from low Earth orbit (LEO) out to the geostationary (GEO) belt.
The geographic distribution of the sites across three provinces aligns with the need for overlapping night-sky coverage to mitigate localized weather disruptions, a standard requirement for ground-based optical tracking.
These new assets will support Canada’s independent space tracking capabilities and supplement the deep-space monitoring currently provided by the military’s Sapphire satellite. As Sapphire has operated well beyond its initial five-year design life since its 2013 launch, the SofS 2 observatories provide an immediate upgrade to Canada’s space domain awareness infrastructure without relying solely on an immediate satellite replacement.
Spaceflux currently serves as the primary provider of optical space surveillance data for the UK’s National Space Operations Centre (NSPOC). By bringing Spaceflux onto the SofS 2 team, MDA Space is leveraging an established supplier with a proven operational history with the UK Ministry of Defence and the UK Space Agency.
Dr. Marco Rocchetto, CEO of Spaceflux, highlighted the international significance of the agreement: “This landmark contract is a direct result of the world-leading, AI-driven orbital intelligence we have built in the UK. Our daily operational work with the UK Space Command, UKSA, and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) demonstrates, with confidence, that Spaceflux delivers at the highest national standards. We are incredibly proud that the credibility we have earned at home is now opening doors for allied sovereign programmes that protect national interests”.
The integration of Spaceflux’s technology into the Canadian architecture highlights a growing trend of collaboration and interoperability between NATO members in the space domain.