The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has awarded MDA Space a contract to build an advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite that will join and replenish the country's RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM), securing the continuity of one of Canada's most strategic Earth-observation systems.
A sovereign Earth-observation lifeline
Under the agreement, announced on 24 June 2026, MDA Space will design, build, test, launch and commission the new spacecraft, and will also enhance the ground control, security and data-management systems that support the constellation. The satellite is based on MDA CHORUS, the company's fourth generation of Earth-observation technology, and is intended to extend the operational life of the three-satellite RCM that has provided all-weather, day-and-night imaging of Canada's land, oceans and Arctic since 2019.
The replenishment satellite forms part of the Government of Canada's RADARSAT+ portfolio, a multi-year program to safeguard Canadian sovereign access to radar imagery used for maritime surveillance, disaster response, climate monitoring and defence applications.
Building on Canadarm heritage
The award deepens MDA Space's role as the prime contractor behind Canada's flagship space assets, from the Canadarm robotic arms on the International Space Station to the original RADARSAT spacecraft. It also follows an active stretch for the company, which recently moved to expand its small-satellite manufacturing footprint through its acquisition of Blue Canyon Technologies and continues to support orbital servicing missions tied to the Canadarm2 on the ISS.
Radar imaging in a crowded sky
The contract lands amid a surge of investment in radar-imaging constellations, with commercial operators such as ICEYE scaling up SAR fleets and rideshare launches filling manifests. By committing to a sovereign CHORUS satellite, Canada signals that government-owned radar capacity remains a national priority even as private players expand. The CHORUS platform is engineered to deliver higher-resolution imagery and faster revisit times than the current RCM satellites, strengthening Canada's ability to monitor its vast coastline and remote northern territory.
Reporting based on coverage from MDA Space and the Canadian Space Agency.