Mission Control Secures $250k from Canadian Space Agency to Develop Software for Commercial Lunar Exploration Missions
Mission Control has won a Space Technology Development grant from the Canadian Space Agency to support the development of their Mission Control Software product, an end-to-end operations and autonomy framework for commercial lunar exploration missions
OTTAWA, Ontario, June 12, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Mission Control is excited to announce the support of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) for their ongoing development of Mission Control Software for the next generation of commercial space exploration missions. Through the Space Technology Development Program, the CSA will contribute $250k to the development of this technology which will help position Mission Control to participate in near term robotic missions to the Moon.
"With ongoing programs such as NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Service, a new wave of commercial space exploration is about to break," said Dr. Michele Faragalli, Chief Technology Officer of Mission Control. "Rovers and other robotic systems will play an essential role in commercial exploration of the Moon." Current rover technology is expensive and requires continuous management by operators back on Earth. Rover based exploration will be more cost-effective if more tasks can be performed autonomously onboard, and with more flexible options available for the mission operators on earth.
Mission Control Software enables low-cost, commercial missions by streamlining end-to-end development and operations for space robotics, allowing faster development, more efficient operations, and a better experience for mission management. It provides cloud-based connectivity allowing mission operators anywhere in the world with an internet connection to participate in lunar exploration. This would allow non-experts, including students and members of the Canadian public, to engage lunar missions more easily.
Over the life of the company, Mission Control has developed multiple software-based systems for increasing the efficiency, safety and scientific return of planetary rover missions. The development of Mission Control Software is an extension of this work, conceived to address operational problems encountered during numerous field test campaigns and analogue missions.
"From classrooms to companies, in Canada and around the world, Mission Control Software is well positioned to enable people to operate and interact with robots on the Moon," said Ewan Reid, President & CEO of Mission Control. "We'd like to thank the CSA for supporting this cutting-edge technology, bringing Canadian leadership in space robotics one step closer to the moon, and helping Canadians enable the democratization of space exploration."
SOURCE Mission Control Space Services
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