COM
DEV
Begins
Work
on
RADARSAT
Constellation
Mission
Design
Phase
April
6,
2010
COM
DEV
International
Ltd.
has
begun
work
on
the
design
phase
(Phase
C)
of
the
Canadian
Space
Agency’s
RADARSAT
Constellation
Mission
(RCM).
COM
DEV's
role
includes
the
development
of
key
payload
subsystems,
and
the
current
phase
is
focused
on
completing
detailed
designs
and
associated
hardware
qualifications.
MacDonald,
Dettwiler
and
Associates
Ltd.
(MDA),
the
prime
contractor
for
RCM,
has
awarded
COM
DEV
an
authorization
to
proceed
(ATP)
valued
at
CDN$720,000.
The
ATP
is
in
advance
of
the
full
negotiated
contract
currently
under
discussion
between
the
Canadian
Space
Agency
and
MDA
on
the
full
terms
of
the
Phase
C
contract,
which,
when
concluded,
is
expected
to
bring
more
work
to
COM
DEV’s
facility
in
Cambridge,
Ontario.
The
program
is
being
funded
in
phases
and
COM
DEV
also
anticipates
being
involved
in
the
final
build
phase.
“The
RADARSAT
Constellation
Mission
is a
very
exciting
program
that
will
provide
many
benefits
to
Canadians,”
said
John
Keating,
CEO
of
COM
DEV.
“We
were
encouraged
to
see
the
federal
government
recently
confirm
significant
levels
of
funding
to
complete
this
program.”
The
RADARSAT
Constellation
will
be a
specialized
fleet
of
Earth
Observation
satellites
designed
to
complement
the
Canadian
Space
Agency’s
legacy
RADARSAT
Program
by
providing
more
timely
and
comprehensive
data
than
is
currently
available.
The
baseline
mission
includes
three
satellites
planned
for
launch
in
2014
and
2015,
but
the
constellation
is
designed
to
be
scalable
to
six
satellites.
RCM’s
objectives
include
frequent
surveillance
and
monitoring
of
Canada’s
coastal
areas,
northern
territories,
Arctic
waterways,
maritime
areas
of
strategic
interest
and
resource
management
across
the
country.
RCM
will
also
support
Canada's
contribution
to
global
disaster
management
and
surveillance
