MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd, a global supplier of essential information solutions, has made a $6 million agreement with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) by providing innovative technological solutions for supporting CSA’s Exploration Surface Mobility program. It was reported that MDA will head the group which will develop and analyze a Mars Exploration and Science Rover (MESR) archetype.
The Mars rover is expected to be ready for field testing in 2012. It will be included and analysed with other Canadian spacecrafts. The technologies developed for the MESR will also have several earth-based applications in areas such as mining, transportation, medical and security industries.
Steve Oldham, VP of MDA, has stated that for the past few years their company has been offering innovative robotic-based solutions for Canada’s space exploration program. He added that the development of MESR archetype will enable them to update their technology for future operations. He expressed his pleasure over widening their services for major industries and also for improving Canada’s technical expertise.
Source: http://www.mdacorporation.com