Advanced space technology solutions company MDA, part of Maxar Technologies, has announced a partnership with FIRST Robotics Canada with a $50,000 sponsorship of the robotics competition Destination: Deep Space.

Destination: Deep Space gives high school students six weeks to collaborate and engineer/program robots to compete across Canada.

The competitions are in the vein of a championship sporting event with the practical application of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) with mentorship from industry experts.

Mike Greenley, group president of MDA, said: “This is exciting to be partnering in this truly impressive organization. Connecting the future leaders in technology with hands-on experience and real-time fun is a great way to spark interest in space and STEM studies.”

Robotics competition

“FIRST Canada is thrilled to partner with MDA, Canada’s leading space company,” said Mark Breadner, president of FIRST Canada. “Students are inspired by the innovations at MDA and can use the expertise and experience of the MDA team when imagining and building their projects this season.

“It’s absolutely critical to have these kids and youth thinking forward to the future of space discovery to become positive leaders in space advancement and STEM fields.”

MDA has a long and successful history as a trusted supplier of robotics and communications subsystems for the ISS.

The Mobile Servicing System on the ISS is comprised of Canadarm2, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator known as ‘Dextre’ and the Mobile Base System.

Canada currently has the opportunity to leverage this proven industrial base to provide next generation AI-based robotics to the next space station, the Lunar Gateway.

This type of program is expected to create thousands of high-quality space jobs within Canada over the next two decades.

“MDA feels strongly in the need to support the next-generation space workforce and ensure our best and brightest have opportunities to work in a revitalized Canadian space sector. That is why this opportunity to support FIRST Robotics Canada is so meaningful to us,” added Greenley.