{
  "api": "assay-systems/v1",
  "key_tier": "none",
  "retrieved": "2026-10-16T15:01:16Z",
  "source": "Assay Systems register, https://assay-systems.com/register/",
  "access_notice": "On 15 November 2026, automated access to assay-systems.com closes. After that date, access is available only under a paid annual subscription contract. Contact: contact@assay-systems.com",
  "data": {
    "id": "ASY-CA-1NBINN20P1",
    "type": "grant",
    "country": "ca",
    "name": "MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation: federal grants and contributions",
    "url": "https://assay-systems.com/register/ca/grants/r/macdonald-dettwiler-and-associates-corporation/",
    "summary": "6 federal grant and contribution agreements worth $7.3M with MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation, 2018–2025.",
    "figures": [
      {
        "label": "agreements",
        "value": 6,
        "unit": "count"
      },
      {
        "label": "value",
        "value": 7300000,
        "unit": "money",
        "currency": "CAD",
        "approximate": true,
        "display": "$7.3M"
      },
      {
        "label": "departments",
        "value": 1,
        "unit": "count"
      },
      {
        "label": "programs",
        "value": 2,
        "unit": "count"
      }
    ],
    "text": [
      "The Command & Data Handling (C&DH) unit is a satellite's control centre, providing the spacecraft platform with control and monitoring of all subsystems. With the increase in demand for smaller platforms and constellations, more compact and capable C&DH units are required. As a result, a significant amount of innovation is needed to combine all of the necessary functions into a smaller, more compact unit. MDA will develop new portions of the C&DH unit, while creating innovative methods to reduce mass, power, cost, and resource utilization, and maximizing performance, reliability and flexibili",
      "The use of electric orbit raising, instead of chemical propulsion, after launch and separation of the satellite from the launcher to reach the geostationary orbit allows reducing propellant mass, and therefore increasing the maximum allowable spacecraft dry mass. However, today's existing electric propulsion pointing systems are limited in their degrees of freedom and are available at a high price. MDA will develop the Three Axis Deployable Stationary Plasma Thruster Module (TSM), allowing an intensive and efficient use of electric propulsion on telecommunications satellites, both for the orb",
      "The satellite market has recently shifted towards Low Earth Orbit constellations. These missions require feeder link antennas that offer a wide scan angle and are typically supported by reflector antennas. A shift towards phased array for feeder links is starting to emerge as this technology presents great advantages in terms of number of beams, speed of reconfigurability and interference mitigation capacities. The purpose of this project is to develop a feeder link Ka-Band phased array antenna with interference mitigation capabilities. This requires developing antenna architecture and concept",
      "With the advancement of Low-Earth Orbit Constellation missions and a higher focus towards more New Space/demonstration type missions, we believe at MDA Space that there is a real need and advantage to decrease the costs and mass of traditional solar array assemblies. To develop this technology in Canada reduces the reliance of the Canadian space sector towards American and European solar array providers. Furthermore, it would create more work on this side of the border, it would increase MDA Space’s competitiveness on the global space industry market, and it has the potential to help enable mi",
      "The project objectives are to perform a proof-of-concept and advance the development through hardware prototyping and software development of the next generation high performance single board processor platform that will deliver enhanced processing capabilities, advanced AI/ML processing, while improving performance gain and fault tolerance at low power. The expected outcome is a reference design serving as basis to build the next generation high performance processor platform that would be integrated into MDA’s future satellite.",
      "Satellite systems and equipment are designed to work in harsh space environments and extreme launch conditions. This project will build and test advanced composite materials for lightweight, low-cost space antenna parts. Using an existing type of antenna reflector, this project will improve performance, ensure space-readiness, and solve two key design issues. First, it will use a new type of carbon fiber material to make the reflector less sensitive to the stresses of launch. Second, it will improve the design of the panels used for support so that the reflector can be stiffer, while at the"
    ],
    "records": [
      {
        "name": "in the contract register",
        "url": "https://assay-systems.com/register/ca/macdonald-dettwiler-and-associates-corporation/"
      },
      {
        "name": "grants and contributions register",
        "url": "https://assay-systems.com/register/ca/grants/"
      },
      {
        "name": "Canadian Space Agency",
        "url": "https://assay-systems.com/register/ca/grants/department/canadian-space-agency/"
      }
    ],
    "assay_record": "ASY-CA-1NBINN20P1",
    "cite_as": "Assay Systems, \"MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation: federal grants and contributions\", https://assay-systems.com/register/ca/grants/r/macdonald-dettwiler-and-associates-corporation/"
  }
}