Contributions awarded under the STDP – AO 5
Funding for space research and development
In spring 2019, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) awarded $15 million in funding to 25 Canadian companies to pioneer research and development (R&D) for 29 projects. A description of the projects, selected companies, and funding amounts are presented below under four distinct categories:
- Space Research and Development: High Technology Readiness Level
- Space Research and Development: Small Businesses
- Space Research and Development: Feasibility Studies
- Space Research and Development: Low Technology Readiness Level
Space Research and Development: High Technology Readiness Level
The companies were awarded non-repayable contributions of up to $1 million for space R&D projects that have a high initial technology readiness level (TRL), between TRL 4 and TRL 6. These projects are expected to last up to three years and produce economic benefits in the next two to five years.
| Company | Contribution value | Project |
|---|---|---|
| Honeywell Aerospace Cambridge, Ontario (COM DEV Ltd.) |
$1,000,000 | Optical Pointing and Tracking Relay Assembly for Communication (OPTRAC) Advanced Development |
| Kepler Communications Inc. Toronto, Ontario |
$1,000,000 | Next generation telecommunications nano satellite |
| MPB Communications Inc. Pointe-Claire, Quebec |
$999,999 | A Cost-Effective Ultra-High Throughput Space-Based Optical Link |
| UrtheCast Corporation Vancouver, British Columbia |
$1,000,000 | A Novel Self-Cueing TCPED Cycle for High Resolution Wide Swath SAR Imaging |
| UrtheCast Corporation Vancouver, British Columbia |
$997,342 | Automated Calibration and Validation of Optical Satellite Constellations |
| GHGSat Inc. Montreal, Quebec |
$1,000,000 | Order-of-Magnitude Performance Improvement for WAF-P Spectrometer |
| MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec |
$750,000 | Mk2 Reflector Enhancement: Engineered Composite Panel and Triaxial Woven Shell |
| ABB Inc. Quebec City, Quebec |
$757,294 | Compact Fore-Optics for Space 2.0 Applications |
Burloak Technologies Inc. MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation |
$744,227 | Large Scale Additive Manufactured RF Satellite Communication Sub-Systems |
| SED Systems, a division of Calian Ltd. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
$798,884 | Bonded Satellite Modem |
| Square Peg Communications Inc. Ottawa, Ontario |
$719,935 | RF Test Technology for LEO Satellite Networks |
| Canadensys Aerospace Corporation | $499,586 | Canadian Multi-Purpose Nano-Class Space Imager Performance Characterization |
Space Research and Development: Small Businesses
The small businesses (up to a maximum of 50 employees) were awarded non-repayable contributions of up to $250,000. These space R&D projects are expected to last up to three years and produce economic benefits in the next five to 10 years.
Space Research and Development: Feasibility Studies
The companies were awarded non-repayable contributions of up to $100,000 for feasibility studies related to space projects and technologies with strong commercial potential. These R&D projects are expected to last up to two years and produce economic benefits in the next five to 10 years.
| Company | Contribution value | Project |
|---|---|---|
| C6 Launch Systems Corporation Calgary, Alberta |
$71,990 | C6 STARS (Space Transmission and Reception System) Feasibility Study |
| Maya HTT Ltd. Montreal, Quebec |
$98,920 | Correlation of Spacecraft In-Flight and Simulated Temperatures through Machine Learning |
Space Research and Development: Low Technology Readiness Level
The companies were awarded non-repayable contributions of up to $500,000 for space R&D projects that have a low initial TRL, between TRL 1 and TRL 3. These R&D projects are expected to last up to three years and produce economic benefits in the next five to 10 years.
| Company | Contribution value | Project |
|---|---|---|
| ARTsensing Inc. Mississauga, Ontario |
$489,000 | Nanotechnology-Based Radiation Shields |
| Honeywell Aerospace Cambridge, Ontario (COM DEV Ltd.) |
$500,000 | Photonics for Space-Based Communications Networks |
| Teledyne Optect Inc. Vaughan, Ontario |
$498,659 | 3D Imaging Lidar |
| ABB Inc. Quebec City, Ontario |
$499,480 | Multiplexed Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) |
| Reaction Dynamics Lab Inc. St-Laurent, Quebec |
$473,936 | Development of Guidance, Navigation, and Control Technologies for a Hybrid Engine Small Satellite Launch Vehicle |
| MDA Systems Ltd. Richmond, British Columbia |
$101,911 | On-Board Processing with Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Accelerators |
These funds were awarded through the CSA's Space Technology Development Program (STDP), which supports innovation for the growth of the Canadian space sector and aims to reduce technological unknowns of future space missions. Contribution agreements are issued to Canadian organizations to support the development of innovative technologies with strong commercial potential. As part of a competitive process, proposals are selected based on the applicant's (mainly industry) capacity to advance the development of specific space technologies for which they receive financial support of up to 75% of their project cost.
This funding initiative aims to:
- use space to drive broader economic growth by enhancing Canada's space sector through the scaling up of firms, enhancing their export growth, supporting the creation of high-paying middle-class jobs, providing support for small firms, and encouraging the hiring of students; and
- increase the readiness level of several promising space technologies.