MDA Space Confirms Canadarm3 Contract Unchanged While NASA Pauses Artemis Gateway
MDA Space reports its Canadarm3 contract with the Canadian Space Agency remains unchanged despite NASA’s pause on the Artemis Gateway program. The design-phase robotic arm architecture retains flexibility for low Earth orbit, cislunar space and lunar surface operations while commercial opportunity development continues.
1. NASA Shifts Focus from Gateway to Lunar Surface
NASA announced it will pause the Artemis Gateway in its current form, redirecting efforts toward infrastructure that enables sustained lunar surface operations and leveraging international commitments and repurposed equipment for surface missions.
2. Canadarm3 Contract Remains with Canadian Space Agency
MDA Space clarifies that its Canadarm3 program is a contract with the Canadian Space Agency, not NASA or the U.S. government, and confirms there have been no changes to the agreement or its execution timeline.
3. Design Phase Provides Multi-Environment Flexibility
Canadarm3 is currently in its design phase, featuring an architecture developed to support multiple use cases across low Earth orbit, cislunar space and the lunar surface, allowing rapid pivot to alternate operating environments.
4. Company Advances Commercial and Agency Opportunities
MDA Space remains focused on executing existing contracts while pursuing commercial opportunities, and expects Canada to continue contributing robotics technology to the Artemis mission under its flexible Canadarm3 framework.