OTTAWA, Feb. 25, 2019 /CNW/ - MDA, a Maxar Technologies
company (NYSE: MAXR) (TSX: MAXR), today announced that it has
partnered with FIRST Robotics Canada as a gold sponsor
of the robotics competition "Destination: Deep Space." In an epic
space adventure of innovation with a build time of only six weeks,
high school students collaborate in teams to engineer and program
robots to compete across Canada.
The competitions combine the excitement of a championship sporting
event with the practical application of science, technology,
engineering, and math (STEM) with mentorship from industry
experts.
"MDA is an acknowledged world leader in space robotics,
satellite communications, Earth observation and space science, with
five decades of expertise that includes some of Canada's most innovative accomplishments,"
said Mike Greenley, group president of MDA. "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."
Each year, students in the FIRST program are faced with a
focused challenge connected to relevant real-world topics, and this
year, space is the chosen theme. Space touches the lives of
Canadians 20-30 times a day, from weather predictions, to using an
ATM, to checking a map on a smartphone, to downloading movies, to
ground and air traffic management. Space applications will be even
more pervasive in the future, as autonomous cars, smart cities and
advanced autonomous AI-enabled robotics mature.
"FIRST Canada is
thrilled to partner with MDA, Canada's leading space company," says
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. MDA built these innovative robotic systems that perform a
variety of operations including resupply, maintenance and servicing
tasks vital to the ongoing operations of the ISS. MDA also designed
and built the Space Shuttle robotic arms, known as Canadarm, which
wrapped up 30 years of successful operations when they were retired
along with the Space Shuttle program after completing 90
missions.
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.
About MDA
MDA is an internationally recognized leader in space robotics,
space sensors, satellite payloads, antennas and subsystems,
surveillance and intelligence systems, defence and maritime
systems, and geospatial radar imagery. MDA's extensive space
expertise and heritage translates into mission-critical defence and
commercial applications that include multi-platform command,
control and surveillance systems, aeronautical information systems,
land administration systems and terrestrial robotics. MDA is also a
leading supplier of actionable mission-critical information and
insights derived from multiple data sources. Founded in 1969, MDA
is recognized as one of Canada's
most successful technology ventures with locations in Richmond, Ottawa, Brampton, Montreal, Halifax and the United Kingdom. MDA is a Maxar Technologies
company (TSX: MAXR; NYSE: MAXR). For more information, visit
www.mdacorporation.com.
About Maxar Technologies
As a global leader of advanced space technology solutions, Maxar
Technologies (formerly MacDonald,
Dettwiler and Associates) is at the nexus of the new space economy,
developing and sustaining the infrastructure and delivering the
information, services, systems that unlock the promise of space for
commercial and government markets. As a trusted partner, Maxar
Technologies provides vertically integrated capabilities and
expertise including satellites, Earth imagery, robotics, geospatial
data and analytics to help customers anticipate and address their
most complex mission-critical challenges with confidence. With more
than 6,100 employees in over 30 global locations, the Maxar
Technologies portfolio of commercial space brands includes MDA,
SSL, DigitalGlobe and Radiant Solutions. Every day, billions of
people rely on Maxar to communicate, share information and data,
and deliver insights that Build a Better World. Maxar trades on the
Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange as MAXR. For
more information, visit www.maxar.com.
About FIRST
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science
and Technology) is an international non-profit organization
designed to inspire students to pursue studies and careers in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
FIRST Robotics Canada, which was started in 2002, now
reaches over 20,000 Canadian students from kindergarten to grade
12. More information can be found
at www.firstroboticscanada.org.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements and
other information included in this release constitute
"forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements"
(collectively, "forward-looking statements") under applicable
securities laws. Statements including words such as "may", "will",
"could", "should", "would", "plan", "potential", "intend",
"anticipate", "believe", "estimate" or "expect" and other words,
terms and phrases of similar meaning are often intended to identify
forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking
statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking
statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals,
forecasts, assumptions, risks and uncertainties, as well as other
statements referring to or including forward-looking information
included in this presentation.
Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and
uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially
from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this
presentation. As a result, although management of the Company
believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such
forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance
should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the
Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct.
The risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from
current expectations include, but are not limited to, the risk
factors and other disclosures about the Company and its business
included in the Company's continuous disclosure materials
filed from time to time with Canadian and U.S. securities
regulatory authorities, which are available online under the
Company's EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov, under the Company's
SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com or on the Company's
website at www.maxar.com.
The forward-looking statements contained in this release are
expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary
statements. All such forward-looking statements are based upon data
available as of the date of this presentation or other specified
date and speak only as of such date. The Company disclaims any
intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements in this presentation as a result of new information or
future events, except as may be required under applicable
securities legislation.
Contact
Wendy Keyzer | MDA Media Contact
| 1-604-231-2743 | wendy.keyzer@mdacorporation.com
Jason Gursky | Maxar Investor
Relations | 1-303-684-2207 | jason.gursky@maxar.com
View original
content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/maxar-technologies-mda-supports-first-robotics-canada-with-50-000-gold-level-sponsorship-300801582.html
SOURCE Maxar Technologies Ltd.
