MDA to establish a satellite center of excellence in Montreal

Earlier this month, officials from MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA), a global communications and information company, announced that the company’s Quebec subsidiary has a letter of intent with the Government of Quebec to establish a Satellite Center of Excellence in Montreal. Quebec will provide financial support of up to:

• US$33.27 million as a royalty-based contingent venture loan for a next-generation digital payload satellite system development and manufacturing project

• US$2.22 million in the form of a non-refundable financial contribution which will be used to support the establishment of the center

"These innovations will deliver significant value to our customers and will secure our position as a leader in this market," said Dr. Marc Donato, vice president of operations, Information Systems Group.

On May 17, 2017, MDA announced a contract with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). MDA will provide near real-time information from its RADARSAT-2 satellite that will be used to provide large and small scale ice and snow products, ice forecasting, and other monitoring services. The contract includes one base year and three annual renewal options.

David Belton, the vice-president responsible for the geospatial business said, "We have supported NOAA for almost two decades and this contract demonstrates the strong relationship we have and the importance of RADARSAT-2 imagery to the U.S. government."

The RADARSAT-2 satellite has global high-resolution surveillance capabilities that include a large collection capacity and high accuracy data acquisition. The satellite acquires data regardless of light or weather conditions, and provides frequent re-visit imaging options.