The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has allocated $14.6 million in contracts to three Canadian space technology companies for the development of a new Canadian lunar rover.
The Canadian rover is intended to assist astronauts and support operations on the moon, such as transporting cargo, performing logistics, and construction duties. For the next 18 months, Canadarm manufacturer MDA Space will lead studies to evaluate potential options for the rover, exploring various capacities based on different sizes and scope, according to the CSA.
Ottawa-based software startup Mission Control and Toronto-based Canadensys Aerospace Corporation are also contributing to the project.
“We’re excited and honoured to be bringing [our] experience to bear on a fully Canadian mission,” said Mission Control CEO Ewan Reid.
The CSA stated this investment marks the start of a long-term project relying on expertise across the nation and moves them closer to having a CSA astronaut living and working on the moon.
The rover must be designed to operate autonomously for its anticipated 10-year mission on the lunar surface, said the CSA. Mission Control, awarded a $4.7-million contract, mentioned its onboard AI technology is crucial for handling this challenge.
Canadensys, already working on other lunar rovers for the CSA and international projects, received a $4.73-million contract as part of the initiative. Canadensys claims it has more than 20 instruments on the lunar surface from various international missions over the past three years.
The one-tonne rover must be constructed to withstand the approximately two-week lunar night, where temperatures can drop to -200 C, and receive input from both a Canadian operations center on Earth and astronauts on or orbiting the moon. These advancements in rover technology, according to the CSA, may be applicable to future missions to Mars and other deep space endeavors.
“Having been a part of two international rover missions already sent [to the moon], and two more missions coming soon, we’re excited and honoured to be bringing this experience to bear on a fully Canadian mission,” said Mission Control founder and CEO Ewan Reid.
The CSA secured $1.43 billion in the 2023 budget for lunar exploration, including $1.2 billion over 13 years for designing and building a lunar utility rover and $150 million over five years for developing new technologies for the rover under the Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP). Industry minister Mélanie Joly stated she expects the rover investments to “create and maintain 200 well-paying jobs” in the industrial sector over the next decade.
Canadian space technology has gained from a renewed effort to return to the moon, driven partly by NASA’s Artemis program aiming to establish a permanent presence on the moon. The Canadian Space Mining Corporation (CSMC) aims to install a nuclear reactor on the moon for powering lunar operations, and Berg Chilling Systems contributed a key cooling system for the initiative. However, the U.S. government’s dramatic cut to NASA’s budget adds uncertainty to their lunar return.