MDA to Develop Canadian Hyperspectral Mission Concept

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA), a global communications and information company, has signed a contract with the Canadian Space Agency to develop the mission concept for an operational Canadian Hyperspectral Mission. MDA will lead a team of experts to develop a satellite constellation concept to collect hyperspectral imagery around the globe, and specifically in Canada and its coastal waters, on a weekly basis.

The mission supports public priorities such as monitoring territorial sovereignty and national security, managing environmental change, and responsibly exploiting Canada's agricultural and natural resources to secure the long-term prosperity of all Canadians. The focus of the new proposed system is to provide fast revisit over large areas of Canada to track environment change relating to ecosystem and agriculture productivity.

Hyperspectral imaging, a major step forward in space-based remote sensing innovation, gathers much richer and sophisticated information about the world’s oceans, lakes, land, and vegetation. Hyperspectral remote sensing collects the full spectrum of light reflected from the Earth’s surface and separates it into dozens of spectral 'bands'. Analysing the spectral bands reflected by a feature on the ground can reveal its composition and evolution providing critical information to environmental, security and natural resource decision-makers.