Magellan Aerospace Corporation (“Magellan”) has received a contract from the Government of Canada to design, build, launch, and operate the Redwing smallsat.
Directed by the Department of National Defence’s science and technology organization, Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), the $15.8 million Redwing contract represents the next generation of spacecraft technology for space domain awareness (SDA) technology demonstration. When launched in 2026, Redwing will perform space object tracking to characterize an increasingly congested orbital environment, observe higher detail on space objects, and provide near real-time tasking to response to evolving space events.
Redwing will provide a risk reduction role by helping to ensure continued Canadian access to critical space capabilities, such as communications, remote sensing as well as weather services. Redwing will also provide the Canadian Armed Forces with a platform for experimental characterization of space objects, supporting a critical role within Canada’s space operations community. Redwing also supports the defence of North America by increasing understanding of what is in orbit above North America and other continental regions.
According to Haydn Martin, Magellan’s Vice President, Business Development, Marketing and Commercial, “The Redwing mission will leverage Magellan’s solid heritage in building high-quality space systems, while establishing new spacecraft technologies and mission capabilities. We are very proud to be supporting DRDC and the Government of Canada in this exciting endeavor.”
For more than 60 years, Magellan has been a reliable supplier of space systems to the Canadian and global markets. Redwing will be designed and built by the Magellan’s Winnipeg facility, which produced the platforms, or buses, for the highly successful SCISAT-1, CASSIOPE, and RADARSAT Constellation Mission satellites. Magellan will also oversee the development and operations of the overall Redwing mission, including contributions from both industrial and academic partners.