MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (TSX: MDA – News), a provider of essential information solutions, announced today that its meteorological instrument package is now destined for Mars onboard the Phoenix Lander. Phoenix will land on Mars in May 2008 with several instruments on board to study the history of water on the planet.
Canada is contributing the meteorological (MET) component to this mission that will collect data about the Martian climate and weather. The MET instrument package was built by MDA in partnership with Optech Incorporated and will provide information on the current state of the Martian atmosphere – in essence a Martian weather report.
The Phoenix mission represents the first time that an MDA solution has gone beyond earth’s orbit, a deliberate diversification of the company’s business that will continue with solutions on the next two Mars missions as well. Funding for the Canadian MET Station is provided by the Canadian Space Agency.
About MDA
MDA provides advanced information solutions that capture and process vast amounts of data, produce essential information, and improve the decision making and operational performance of business and government organizations worldwide.
Focused on markets and customers with strong repeat business potential, MDA delivers a broad spectrum of earth and space based information solutions, ranging from complex operational systems, to tailored information services, to electronic information products.
MDA employs more than 3,000 people in locations across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The Company’s common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol TSX:MDA.
