Tag Archives: RADARSAT Constellation Mission

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) reported financial results for the full year and fourth quarter ended December 31, 2012.

Now that Steve MacLean has made the decision to leave the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) after an exemplary 29 year career of which he served 4 1/2 years as President, who replaces him?

SpaceRef has learned that Canadian Space Agency President Steve MacLean is leaving the agency to pursue a job with a new venture by Research in Motion’s co-founder Mike Lazaridis. The announcement was made today at an all hands meeting at the agency.

The Federal Government announced today that it will provide funding for the completion of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM). MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) has signed a $706 million contract with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to build, launch and provide initial operations for the mission.

Late today the Canadian Space Agency announced it will hold a press event at MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) office in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue on the West island of Montreal tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. ET. It is expected the government will announce the funding and contract for the delayed RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM).

On the day that Chris Hadfield soared into space for his five month mission to the International Space Station comes this National Post story; “Stephen Harper steps in to save Radarsat upgrade after budget cutbacks threatened satellite program’s future.” I almost chocked on my laughter at such an ironic headline. After all, wasn’t it Harper and the government that almost scrapped the program?

Late last Friday MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) announced it had formally closed the deal to acquire Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) after it had received regulatory approval and secured the necessary financing. MDA announced in their quarterly call yesterday that on the same day of the closing it had been contacted by the Canadian government with a request for proposal for the build phase, Phase …

With one defence satellite ready to fly, the government’s attention will soon turn to others. That was the message Defence Minister Peter MacKay delivered to media representatives Thursday at a press conference for the official “send-off” of the Sapphire satellite.

This past week Canadian Space Agency President Steve MacLean signalled that the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) will proceed to the next phase, the build phase, and that contracts are forthcoming.

Yesterday the Ottawa Citizen reported that the Department of National Defence has plans for a $1 billion Arctic Surveillance Satellite Network follow-on program to the yet to be built RADARSAT Constellation Mission.