An artist’s concept of Canadarm3’s large arm on the Lunar Gateway. Photo: CSA, NASA

MDA Space has won a large new contract worth around $730 million from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) for the for the next phases of the Canadarm3 program, an advanced space robotics system. Canadarm3 will be used aboard Gateway, a multinational collaboration led by NASA to establish a space station in lunar orbit to support human and robotic missions to the surface of the Moon. MDA Space announced the contract win on June 27.

The contract includes funding for Phase C (final design) and Phase D (construction, system assembly, integration and test) of the full robotics system, comprised of a large arm, a smaller dexterous arm, specialized tools for performing maintenance and science tasks, as well as a ground segment for command and control. MDA Space will support commissioning of the Canadarm3 robotics system once in orbit from the company’s new mission control facility at its global headquarters and Space Robotics Centre of Excellence in Brampton, Ontario.

Leveraging technology derived from Canadarm3, MDA Space recently introduced a new suite of commercial space robotics, MDA Skymaker, which will provide customers with access to space robotics solutions and services.

MDA Space said this award is a key milestone in continue to progress the development of its commercial technologies that will serve emerging markets such as commercial space stations, lunar surface rovers and landers, satellite servicing in all orbits, and in-space assembly and manufacturing.

“We are entering an exciting period where Canadarm3 will take shape and come to life on our production floor. This critical investment in Canadarm3 reinforces and expands our national and industry leadership as a new era of space opens up. This major milestone also reflects our strategy in action as we build our significant backlog and bring to market a new generation of commercial space products and services,” Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space, said in a statement.