The Canadian Space Agency today issued a call for proposals to build two Lunar Exploration Light Rover (LELR) prototypes at maximum cost of $11 million per rover. Up to two contracts will be awarded with each contract requiring a prototype to be built. Only one contract will be awarded per bidder. Proposals are due by August 17th.
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced today that it has awarded two contracts to MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) and one to the University of Calgary for concepts studies for Canada's participation in NASA's New Frontiers program. Each of the contracts is valued at $500,000.
The lower slopes of Hawaii's Mauna Kea with its volcanic soil and which resembles the surfaces of the moon and Mars will be the location for upcoming field tests of a variety of technology with representation from NASA, the German and Canadian Space Agency and Canadian organizations.
January 27, 2010: 11:00 PM - 12:00 AM Eastern Time
Upcoming missions to the Moon and Mars are triggering an extensive range of new design techniques and tools to deal with the emerging complexity of the required systems. This webinar presents an overview of modeling and simulation of space systems using physical modeling techniques derived from symbolic model formulation techniques.
NASA today announced that they have confirmed the presence of water on the moon by its Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS). The LCROSS spacecraft and its companion rocket stage made twin impacts in the Cabeus crater Oct. 9 that created a plume of material from the bottom of a crater that has not seen sunlight in billions of years. This is good news for the Canadian Space Agency who are investing in technology to explore the moon on future missions.
MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) announced today that they had secured a $46 million contract from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to develop next generation technologies and prototypes for future space exploration missions which could include Lunar and Martian orbital missions. As well, MDA will develop technologies for servicing spacecraft in Earth orbit. The contract also includes options for an additional $4 million of prototypes.
According to our companion site NASA Watch, where the news broke, the journal Science will publish three papers tomorrow from three independent spacecraft that confirm the Moon has an abundant supply of water. At the same time NASA will be holding a briefing 2 p.m. EDT to discuss the new findings.
A lunar or Martian rover appears to be among the priorities that will eventually be outlined in Canada's Long-Term Space Plan, a planning tool the Canadian Space Agency says it has been working to complete during the past year.
That information emerged from a series of CSA tenders - collectively worth at least $9.75 million - issued these past few weeks on Merx, a Canadian contracting system that mainly deals with federal procurement. One of the contracts had no dollar value attached to it.
This image was taken by Lunar Orbiter III on 22 February 1967 at 5:24:14 GMT at an altitude of 54.27 km above the lunar surface. High resolution frame 3 clearly shows the Surveyor 1 spacecraft sitting on the lunar surface complete with a long shadow.
