Awarding of $6.7M in contributions to support the Canadian space industry
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has always been committed to improve the lives of all Canadians through science and technological advancements in space, create the jobs of tomorrow, and instill the wonders and inspiration of space in the next generation of innovators. We are entering a new era, with the global space market growing and changing at a rapid pace, introducing new players, new products and services and new business models. More than ever, the CSA is working to grow the space industry and help innovators compete globally and scale up, as shown with recent funding awarded to companies for ground-breaking projects.
Technology demonstration in space
Following an announcement of opportunity (Technology demonstration) published in , Kepler Communications Inc. (Ontario) and Felix & Paul Studios Inc. (Quebec) were awarded $4M in contributions.
- Kepler Communications Inc. received a contribution of $2M for a hardware technology demonstration project is a critical step on the company's mission to deliver the internet to space. This project will help continue the Canadian leadership in deployment of this critical, enabling service, one of the pillars of the new space economy.
- Felix & Paul Studios Inc. received a contribution of $2M. Following the success of the Space Explorers franchise filmed onboard the International Space Station, the company aims to leverage its technology and expertise by landing the first virtual reality camera on the Moon to capture high quality visual content for a new series. This project is in line with the rapidly maturing AR/VR technologies and expected growth in demand for content.
Visit the page Contributions awarded under the STDP for information on all projects funded.
Technology development and capacility-building
Following an announcement of opportunity (Technology development) published in , as part of the overall Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP) investment portfolio, Avalon Space (Ontario) and Burloak Technologies (Ontario) were awarded $2.7M in contributions.
- Avalon Space received a contribution of $1.5M to develop a new mission data tool. This tool aims to improve the utility of mission data from various sources and make it more useful, accessible and commercially valuable for the lunar economy of tomorrow. The goal of this project is to both advance Canadian global competitiveness and accelerate the commercial viability of international and commercial lunar exploration.
- Burloak Technologies received a contribution of $1.2M to advance the design of space hardware. This project aims to optimize space components so they can withstand the extreme environments found on the Moon. The outcome of this work will provide a future path for the Canadian space industry to advance their designs and components to remain competitive within the global space market.