MDA Space, a leading Canadian aerospace company with a legacy in robotic systems, introduced its next-generation robotics platform – MDA Skymaker – at the 2024 Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. Built on the company’s flight-proven Canadarm heritage, Skymaker is a modular suite of robotics technologies designed to support a wide array of commercial and governmental space missions.
The Skymaker system is built with modularity in mind. Its components include joints, end effectors, software modules, and robotic arms ranging from 1 meter to over 15 meters in length. According to the company, the product line is intended to streamline the integration of robotics into new and existing missions, enabling support for satellite servicing, in-space assembly, lunar surface operations, and space station maintenance.
The company has already secured multiple contracts for Skymaker, including a role in the Starlab commercial space station – a joint venture by Voyager Space, Airbus, and Mitsubishi Corporation. MDA Space is expected to deliver external robotic systems and interfaces, supporting the station’s long-term operations.
Additionally, MDA is part of the Lunar Dawn team working on NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle program. That initiative involves providing surface mobility to Artemis astronauts on the Moon. The company’s robotic technology could also be used in rover systems designed for rugged lunar environments.
The Brampton, Ontario-based company has a history of more than 450 space missions. Its most recognizable contribution is the Canadarm, which flew aboard NASA’s space shuttle fleet. Meanwhile, its Canadarm2 successor remains a critical element of the International Space Station.
MDA continues to operate robotics aboard the ISS and is also under contract to supply Canadarm3 for NASA’s Gateway lunar outpost.
A new Space Robotics Centre of Excellence in Brampton supports the company’s ongoing robotic operations. From there, MDA engineers will be able to conduct real-time mission control for a variety of platforms, including the ISS, Gateway, and future commercial stations.
In an April 2024 press release, Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space, stated, “We are bringing to market a toolkit of proven, flight-ready robotic solutions to serve the emerging global demand for autonomous operations in space.”
As global space infrastructure expands, autonomous systems like Skymaker are expected to play a central role in off-Earth construction, logistics, and maintenance.
