MDA offices. Photo: MDA

Retired NASA astronaut Tim Kopra has joined MDA as vice president of Robotics and Space Operations, the Canadian company announced Tuesday. Kopra will be responsible for the work of the robotics and space operations teams at MDA sites in Ontario cities Brampton and Ottawa; Saint-Hubert in Quebec, and Houston.

Kopra served in the U.S. Army from 1985 to 2010 as an Army Aviator, attaining the rank of Colonel. As an astronaut, he flew on two spaceflights and retired in 2018. Kopra has been a partner and advisor at private equity firm Blue Bear Capital since 2016. The firm invests startups across the energy, infrastructure and climate industries. 

“As we embark on the next decade of space exploration, with the Artemis lunar program, commercial on-orbit servicing and on-orbit manufacturing, as well increasing activity on Mars, MDA has a large role to play and I believe Tim’s operational experience and leadership skills will be essential to our continued growth and success,” said MDA CEO Mike Greenley. 

MDA is a former Canadian subsidiary of Maxar Technologies, and it was sold to a consortium of investors led by Northern Private Capital for CAD $1 billion. The sale closed in April.