Canadian space robotics manufacturer MDA has revealed the details of its global headquarters facility, which is currently under construction in Brampton.

The company’s 200,000-square foot building will feature state-of-the-art labs, manufacturing, R&D, and assembly, integration and test facilities, and be home to more than 700 employees.

Dubbed the Space Robotics Centre of Excellence, the building will also house a unique Space Robotics Mission Control Centre, enabling MDA to provide critical on-orbit operations capabilities to customers worldwide.

The facility is expected to cost $100 million to build.

MDA announced details of the project on March 10, along with the news that it had won a $269-million contract from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) for the next phase of the Canadarm3 program.

Canadarm3 will be Canada’s contribution to the U.S.-led Gateway, a lunar outpost for human exploration on the Moon. The autonomous robotic system will be designed to perform tasks around the Moon without human intervention. The new facility will be home to the Canadarm3 development. 

“This new facility will be home to our growing team and will further unlock the potential of our world-class engineering and space mission expertise, while allowing us to bring to market a full suite of innovative commercial space robotics products that leverage Canadarm3 technology,” said MDA CEO Mike Greenley. 

The creation of the MDA Centre of Excellence for Space Robotics – which is currently under construction with the lab slated to be operational by the end of 2022 – is being supported by a grant of $25 million from the provincial Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

“Ontario is home to the brightest talent and a thriving innovation ecosystem that make projects with incredible companies like MDA, a global leader in the space robotics industry, possible,” Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “This investment will strengthen Ontario’s vibrant advanced technology sector, create exciting new jobs and ensure that scientific breakthroughs will continue to be made in our province.”

The project is also being actively supported by the City of Brampton Economic Development Office and Kaneff Group, a Brampton-based development, construction and property management company.

MDA is an international space mission partner and a robotics, satellite systems and geointelligence pioneer that has a 50-year history of work in the field.

The company employs more than 2,200 people across Canada, the US and the UK, and is leading the charge towards viable Moon colonies, enhanced Earth observation, communication in a hyper-connected world, and more.