MDA Space notes changes to NASA's Artemis mission

Executive Summary

• MDA Space issued a statement regarding NASA's changes to the Artemis mission, specifically the pause of the Gateway program in its current form.
• The company clarified that its Canadarm3 program is a contract with the Canadian Space Agency, not NASA or the U.S. government, and confirmed there have been no changes to existing contracts.
• MDA Space emphasized the flexibility of the Canadarm3 architecture, which is designed to support multiple use cases including low Earth orbit, cislunar space, and the lunar surface, allowing for potential pivots in operating environments.

Key Details

• NASA Artemis Changes: NASA intends to pause Gateway in its current form and shift focus to infrastructure enabling sustained lunar surface operations, repurposing equipment and leveraging international partner commitments.
• Contract Status: MDA Space asserts that the Canadarm3 program is a contract with the Canadian Space Agency; there has been no change to any MDA Space contract, and work continues to progress.
• Program Flexibility: The Canadarm3 architecture was developed with flexibility to support multiple use cases, including in low Earth orbit, in cislunar space, and on the lunar surface.
• Current Phase: Canadarm3 is currently in the design phase, providing flexibility to pivot to an alternate operating environment.
• Future Outlook: MDA Space welcomes efforts to accelerate the Artemis mission and expects Canada to continue contributing robotics technology to the mission.

Notable Quotes

• "MDA Space management reiterates that the company's Canadarm3 program associated with the Artemis program is a contract with the Canadian Space Agency and not with NASA or the U.S. government. There has been no change to any MDA Space contract, and our work on the Canadarm3 program continues to progress."
• "As a reminder, the Canadarm3 contract serves multiple markets, including space agency and commercial opportunities. As a result, the Canadarm3 architecture was developed with flexibility to support multiple use cases, including in low Earth orbit, in cislunar space and on the lunar surface."