Building the future of Canada's Earth observation satellites

In a country as vast as Canada, satellites make it possible to observe remote regions regularly and dependably. They also provide critical data to deliver essential services Canadians rely on, from monitoring floods and responding to natural disasters, to tracking Arctic sea ice and supporting safe delivery of supplies to northern communities.

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is taking important steps towards developing the future of Canada's Earth observation capabilities. As such, Canada's next-generation satellite system will help our country continue to innovate and maintain its leadership in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology.

The next-generation satellite system is divided into two segments:

Ground segment: satellite control system and data management system on Earth

Space segment: satellite infrastructure in space

Three contracts valued at up to $804,000 each were recently awarded to Calian, Kepler and MDA Space to develop concept studies for the ground segment of Canada's next-generation satellite system.

As part of the ground segment concept studies, the companies will provide:

a concept for a modern, flexible ground system to operate the satellites and manage their data a development and implementation plan for this system an overview of key technologies, including their readiness level, potential risks, and strategies to address them.