NorthStar Secures Over CAD$40M with 3 Canadian Space Division to Advance Sovereign Space Domain Awareness
Press Release + Noah Note
MONTREAL, June 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NorthStar Earth & Space (“NorthStar” or the “Company”), a global leader in Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Domain Awareness (SDA), today announced the launch of augmented commercial services valued at more than CAD$40 million over 12 months with the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 3 Canadian Space Division (3 CSD). The agreement enables 3 CSD to integrate NorthStar’s space-based surveillance capabilities to enhance mission readiness and threat detection in orbit.
The agreement reinforces NorthStar’s long-standing commitment to advancing Canada’s role in the space sector. Headquartered in Montreal, and governed by a majority-Canadian board, NorthStar drives growth through innovation, and sovereign space capabilities. By processing millions of images and observations collected from space- and ground-based sensors, NorthStar delivers precise assessments and predictions of the behaviour of objects in space.
“This collaboration marks a milestone in the use of commercial innovation to protect Canadian interests in space,” said Stewart Bain, founder and CEO of NorthStar. “Integrating NorthStar’s advanced scanning and detection capabilities will strengthen the mission readiness and national security objectives at the core of 3 CSD’s mandate.”
Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy recognizes space as a critical operational domain for national security and economic stability. Satellites underpin communications, navigation, climate monitoring, Earth observation and defence operations, making sovereign, mission-ready SDA capabilities essential. These capabilities play a critical role in safeguarding Canada’s North, where Arctic security and sovereignty are key priorities. NorthStar’s integrated space-based and ground-based services provide trusted, Canadian controlled data to support this objective.
RCAF Brig.-Gen Christopher Horner said, “Space Domain Awareness is foundational to all space operations. Our decisional advantage in both peacetime and conflict is built upon our ability to detect and differentiate threats from the responsible actors in space. NorthStar gives the Canadian Armed Forces the higher ground with advanced SDA services. Cooperation between 3 CSD and Canada’s space industry partners remains a fundamental requirement for security in space.”
“Through Canada’s new Defence Industrial Strategy, our government is inspiring new partnerships that will strengthen our defence industry, enhance sovereign capabilities, and bolster national security. NorthStar’s partnership with 3 Canadian Space Division on their sovereign SDA capabilities will advance Canada’s satellite capacity and equip our Armed Forces with mission-ready tools,” said the Hon. Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.
As space becomes an increasingly contested domain, Canada must remain steadfast in maintaining the ability to independently monitor and protect its assets in orbit. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening national capabilities and contributing to the secure and safe use of space.
About NorthStar Earth & Space
NorthStar is the first commercial Space Situational Awareness (SSA) company to leverage space-based assets that use satellite imagery to continuously scan, detect, and monitor the behaviour of objects in near-Earth orbits. Patented capabilities deliver precise and timely Space Domain Awareness (SDA), contributing to Canada’s space sovereignty and supporting National Defence objectives. With headquarters in Montreal, Canada, a European headquarters in Luxembourg, and a dedicated US operation in McLean, VA, NorthStar addresses the ever-growing threat of space collisions as a major contribution to empower humanity to preserve our planet.
Noah Note: NorthStar is one of those companies that doesn't get a lot of notice or love in the space. They aint an MDA, Kepler, or even C-Core to most people. If you are in the space scene, you definetly know of them, but again even amongst that group, NorthStar tends to fall to the sidelines. Acknowledged, but not necessarily noted.
The Constellation refered to here is Skylark. Skylark is noted as the first commercial space-based satellite constellation dedicated entirely to Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Domain Awareness (SDA).
The initial deployment occurred on January 31, 2024, when Rocket Lab successfully launched the first four satellites (based on Spire Global’s 16U satellite bus) in the constellation. The complete constellation is designed to feature 24 satellites distributed across six Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) planes, with four satellites per plane.
Each satellite hosts a passive electro-optical payload featuring a 20 cm aperture telescope and a detector resolution of 1280x1024 pixels. This payload configuration yields a Field of View of 2.8 by 2.2 degrees and an instantaneous Field of View of 38 microradians, at least to what I could find.
Unlike traditional ground-based tracking systems that use a track-and-stare approach, the NorthStar constellation utilizes a continuous 24/7 "pushbroom" scanning methodology. Operating at a 1 Hz frame rate, the fully deployed 24-satellite architecture is projected to generate over two million images every day.
Because the sensors remain essentially fixed relative to the orbital frame, visible Resident Space Objects (RSOs) appear as streaks in the imagery. Analysts can derive precise data regarding an object's trajectory, celestial positioning, photometry, and apparent motion based on the streak's centroid, length, and orientation.
Skylark had a rough start, primarily with the optical sensors, but as I know it they've managed to develop fixes to the issues presented on the initial batch and are moving ahead. While Surveillance of Space 2 is moving ahead, there is concern with how much longer Sapphire will last. She is ancient in satellite terms.
While this won't replace her, it does serve as a complement and creates a bit of a space-based bridge that complements the MDA/Thoth Ground-Based bridge contracted last year before SOS 2 delivers on her Ground and Space-Based Optical Capabilities.
Also gives some much needed support to NorthStar, who does make good stuff, but definetly has lacked love.