MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. announced today that the company has entered into an agreement with
the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to extend the Mission Feasibility study for
the proposed RADARSAT-2/3 Topographic Mission. The total value of the
contract extension is $1.1 million.
MDA is currently under contract to the Canadian Space Agency as the prime
contractor for RADARSAT-2, Canada’s next-generation Earth observation
satellite. The CSA has already funded specific modifications to the RADARSAT-2
spacecraft to support a proposed tandem mission with RADARSAT-3.
The analysis performed as part of the RADARSAT-2/3 Feasibility Study
announced February 20, 2001 demonstrated the capability of the mission to
produce detailed three-dimensional images. Initial results require further
determination of the actual implementation process.
Depending on the results of the Feasibility Study and following the
securing of government approval and funding, plans are to launch RADARSAT-3 a
few years after RADARSAT-2, and fly the two satellites in tandem — gathering
detailed data about the terrain and elevation characteristics of the Earth’s
surface. This would represent the most advanced space-borne land information
and mapping mission ever conceived.
Data produced by the RADARSAT-2/3 tandem mission would support government
and commercial applications requiring land information including natural
resource exploration, civil engineering, land use planning, air traffic
navigation, flood monitoring, rescue missions, disaster relief and
telecommunications site planning.
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