Government of Canada invests $47 million to secure access to essential Canadian Earth observation data
Government Release.
December 4, 2025 – Longueuil, Quebec
Today, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, announced the Government of Canada’s intent to contract MDA Space to build, test, and launch an additional satellite for the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM).
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) explored agile procurement options to maintain uninterrupted access to critical satellite data supporting our country’s growing needs. In order to accelerate the delivery of this satellite, MDA Space has been awarded $44.7 million to purchase specialized parts.
To ensure Canada continues to innovate and remain at the forefront of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) capabilities, we are also advancing the development of the next-generation satellite system. Building on the legacy of the RCM, three Canadian companies, C-CORE, Kepler and MDA Space, are receiving up to $747 000 each. They will have seven months to deliver concept studies for the new generation of Earth observation satellites.
Space serves as a strategic industry to help us tackle some of the most pressing issues of our time. Satellites like the RCM deliver daily observations of Canada’s lands, waters, and northern regions. This data supports essential services Canadians rely on, from responding to natural disasters to tracking sea ice and ensuring the safe delivery of supplies to northern communities.
These important investments ensure Canada will continue to have the sovereign satellite data needed to keep the Arctic secure, respond quickly to hurricanes and floods, and monitor environmental impacts.
Quotes
"Through these investments, we are strengthening Canada’s space sector and ensuring Canadians continue to benefit from the satellite data that supports essential everyday services. In doing so, we are strengthening Canada’s sovereign satellite capabilities and equipping Canadian industry and governments with the tools to protect communities, support decision-making, and keep Canada secure."
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Quick facts
These contracts are part of the Government of Canada’s $1.012 billion, 15‑year investment in the CSA, announced in October 2023, to support immediate and future satellite Earth observation needs.
Following a competitive procurement process for the next-generation satellite system, each of the selected companies is expected to deliver a proposal for a multi-year plan that defines the mission concept, the satellite system’s design, the technical requirements, and the critical technologies that would need to be developed.
The RCM builds on Canada’s 30-year legacy in Earth observation, providing reliable and trusted data to federal departments daily to guide decision-making for Canadians, international allies, and our environment.
The replenishment satellite will help maintain uninterrupted access to this source of Earth observation data, used by over 10 federal departments to deliver many essential services to Canadians.
Noah Note: Finally. A fourth addition to Radarsat has been on the books a few years now, and has been very slow to move. The Radarsat constellation is a critical part of Canada’s space-based capabilities. It forms the backbone of our Earth Observation capabilities.
This fourth addition with bridge the gap until a replacement constellation is in place. That all falls under the Radarsat+ project. Oruginally launched in 2019, the current constellation was designed with a lifespan of seven years. Without thos replacement that would put the current constellations end of life in October of next year.
Of course from my understanding there is no plan to go through with that, and this new addition will help extend the lifespan of the project out past that date. In the meantime the government has also been exploring commercial options to supplement the constellation.
MDA was awarded a contract earlier this year to extend its partmership with the DFO to provide Maritime Surveillance data in support of the Dark Vessel detection program. This contract includes future access to data from MDAs CHORUS constellation.
CHORUS is MDAs Next-Generation, commercial Earth Observation Satellite constellation. The constellation will comprise of two satellites. CHORUS C is being built off the back of the Radarsat program, and will come equipped with a C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR).
CHORUS X will be its partner. It is being developed in partnership with ICEYE, utilizing their third-generation satellite bus. It will be equipped with an X-band SAR. To quote a bit on capabilities:
“CHORUS will be able to image at a maximum swath width of 700 km with CHORUS C, and a highest resolution of 0.25 m with the Spotlight mode on CHORUS X.
Both CHORUS satellites will be placed into the same orbit, with CHORUS X trailing CHORUS C by 60 minutes. The orbit will be an inclined, non-sun-synchronous orbit, at an altitude of approximately 600 km and inclination of 53.5°. The imaging time will shift earlier by about 20 minutes per day, allowing CHORUS to view the same region at different times of the day.
The mission has a design life of 15 years, with CHORUS C expected to remain in operation for the full limetime. However, it is expected that multiple versions of the CHORUS X satellite will need to be launched to sustain the full 15 years.”
CHORUS will also come equipped with a Vessel Detection Onboard Processing system (VDOP), allowing it to Identify, observe and Track Maritime vessels and traffic. CHORUS is set to launch onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket sometime next year. We have no official date. I expect that the future Radarsat concept from MDA will heavily leverage the work being done with CHORUS.
Of course with a replacement still at least a decade out the government will likely have to turn to constellations like CHORUS to improve Canada’s earth observation in the intermediate. There is little ways elsewise to do so before 2035.
It’s good that we're seeing these developments, however we are once again in a situation of having an inevitable gap. A fourth Radarsat satellite is obviously going to keep things going, but its not adding real capacity. It isnt adding a major jump in capability. We're lucky, in many regards, that Canadian Industry has stepped up in many cases.
CHORUS, Lightspeed, and the recently awarded Earthfence… all are leveraging Commercial capabilities to fill the gaps in Canada’s space-based Infrastructure until government solutions come on-board. All of which, to their credit, will provide serious improvements to our current architecture under Canadian control.
Space is not a want, it's a need and the government has made it clear they see space as a priority sector. Canada is exploring Sovereign Launch. A lot of that is being pushed by DRDC, who have done an excellent job this year at getting contracts out to Canadian Industry.
They most recently awarded several contracts as part of the Space Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Architecture Initiative to companies like C-Core and Galaxia, as well as to the University of Victoria. There is progress being done.
I hesitate to use words like Golden Age or such. I have heard others, I dont think we're there yet. I do think its time I discuss doing a long post on the various Space-based projects though. Maybe map out the current capabilities? That would be cool. Is that something you guys would like?
I think a post on the various space capabilities and projects would be great.