Canadensys, MDA Space and Mission Control near end of Artemis rover study

Canadensys, MDA Space and Mission Control collectively received C$14.6M ($10.3M) in July 2025 for a Phase 0 lunar utility rover study supporting NASA’s Artemis program. Phase 0 is an early-stage study. Payload reports the three companies’ work is almost done.

Payload reports CSA is expected to issue a request for proposals within days that would narrow the field to two firms for continued rover construction in 2027 alongside science-instrument procurements. The downselection is intended to keep two companies building rovers in 2027.

CSA wants industry to create a fully robotic rover about the dimensions of two pickup trucks parked next to each other, able to fit on a 1.5m-by-1m pallet. The size and pallet limits establish the physical envelope for the Canadian lunar utility rover under development.

Payload reports CSA shelved four-ton rover designs initially envisioned for 2034 during the mid-design phase, at least temporarily, and asked companies to target a two-ton product that would ship approximately three to four years faster. Mission Control CEO and founder Ewan Reid said waiting until 2034 risked lunar technology becoming obsolete given the Moon Base timeline. CSA made the change during the mid-design phase because waiting until 2034 risked obsolescence under the Moon Base schedule.

NASA unveiled a Moon Base plan earlier in 2026 that requires a transportation network including big rovers, and CSA expects to increase funding for rover projects because of that plan. The Moon Base announcement came earlier in 2026 and frames the rovers as part of a broader lunar transportation network.

MDA Space competes in the rover procurement and makes Canadarm3, which was originally intended for Gateway, the planned lunar space station. An MDA Space representative told Payload that lunar mobility would improve Moon Base support together with possibly repurposed robotics, examined through a funded CSA task authorization. The authorization covers study of possibly repurposed robotics as part of MDA Space’s lunar mobility work.

Canadensys President and CEO Christian Sallaberger told Payload that his company is actively part of rover programs for the United States and the European Space Agency. Canadensys has won dozens of CSA lunar contracts over approximately 15 years, suggesting sustained Canadian demand for lunar work from CSA. Sallaberger made the comment alongside that contract history in the report.

Mission Control has created technology, tools, and software for several lunar missions already. That experience is part of Mission Control’s background under CEO and founder Ewan Reid, who leads the company.

The companies emphasized that rover technology has applications for other Moon projects even if their concept is not selected. They made the point while discussing their Phase 0 lunar-utility-rover study and future prospects in the Payload report.

NordSpace aims to send its privately funded TERRY lunar rover to the Moon in the coming year. TERRY is a separate self-funded lunar rover effort distinct from the CSA-backed utility rover competition.

Canada recently called off a planned Canadensys mini-rover as it continues to pursue sovereign launch capability.