Team led by MDA Space to define future of Canadian lunar vehicle program
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 30, 2025
MDA Space Ltd. (TSX: MDA) has been selected by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to lead a key early-phase study for Canada’s proposed Lunar Utility Vehicle (LUV), the company announced. The effort will involve collaboration with the Centre de Technologies Avancees BRP – Universite de Sherbrooke (CTA) and the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), combining space systems, rugged vehicle design, and autonomous navigation expertise.
This study marks an essential step toward defining Canada’s role in lunar logistics. It will outline the mission architecture, assess viable technologies, and identify potential risks. These findings will form the basis for future development of mobility systems designed to operate on the Moon.
MDA Space’s recent autonomous rover demonstration at CSA headquarters in December 2024 further demonstrated Canada’s capability in lunar mobility. The company will integrate its MDA SKYMAKER platform – built on heritage Canadarm robotics – into the concept study, enabling scalable, autonomous surface operations on the Moon.
Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space, stated, “We’re proud to be working alongside CTA and UTIAS to help shape Canada’s role in lunar exploration. This early concept study will help build the foundation for new lunar logistics solutions to support long-term human presence on the Moon, enabling reliable delivery of cargo, resources, and mobility for future missions.”
Eric Charlebois, General Manager of CTA, added, “We are honoured to bring our longstanding expertise in advanced vehicle engineering to this lunar initiative. Our team is eager to apply our experience in designing and testing rugged, high-performance vehicles for extreme environments to the unique challenges of lunar mobility.”
“Developing advanced autonomy for lunar vehicles demands both technical ingenuity and close collaboration,” said Dr. Tim Barfoot of UTIAS. “UTIAS brings deep expertise in intelligent navigation and robotics essential for enabling reliable, self-directed operations on the Moon.”
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