MDA Space
activeCanadian space technology prime contractor that designs and manufactures satellites, robotic systems, and geointelligence platforms for government, defense, and commercial operators.
Key Facts
Description
MDA Space designs, manufactures, and operates satellite systems and orbital robotics across multiple product lines. The company produces the Aurora software-defined satellite bus for large-scale LEO and GEO constellations, including the 198-satellite Telesat Lightspeed program. MDA manufactures the Skymaker family of modular robotic systems for commercial space stations and orbital servicing applications, and serves as prime contractor for Canadarm3, an AI-enabled robotic arm for NASA's Lunar Gateway. The company's geointelligence division operates synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellations, including RADARSAT-2, and is developing CHORUS, a next-generation SAR system providing 24/7 Earth observation for maritime monitoring, agriculture, and disaster response. Core manufacturing and engineering operations are based in Brampton, Ontario, with additional facilities across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
MDA operates a dual-mode business combining hardware manufacturing and systems integration with data-as-a-service offerings from its owned and operated satellite constellations. The company serves government and civil customers including the Canadian Space Agency and NASA, defense organizations including the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and Canada's Department of National Defence, and commercial operators including Telesat, Starlab Space, and Axiom Space. MDA is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under ticker MDA and maintains a backlog of approximately CAD 4.8 billion as of 2024.