Large Canadensys lunar test vehicles being used to develop operational concepts for lunar missions
[Toronto, 29 July 2025] – Canadensys Aerospace has been awarded a $4.725 million contract by the Government of Canada to conduct preparatory studies and to develop technology options for a 1-tonne class Canadian Lunar Utility Rover (LUV), which will become a major Canadian infrastructural contribution to international lunar exploration. This contract represents the initial step of Canada’s $1.35 billion investments in LUV, which will provide logistics services, enable scientific investigations, and support Astronaut operations on the lunar surface.
Canadensys Aerospace has assembled a world-class team to execute this work, including major partners NGC Aerospace in Sherbrooke (Quebec), Astrolab in the United States, Venturi Lab in Switzerland, Thales Alenia Space in Italy, and Concordia University in Montreal.
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, stated “Our government is steadfast in its commitment to championing ambitious initiatives that spark innovation and elevate Canada’s leadership on the global stage. Through the design and development of this lunar utility rover, Canada will collaborate with international partners to shape the next era of human exploration of the Moon.”
Christian Sallaberger, Canadensys President & CEO, stated “Developing a sustainable lunar presence is humanity’s most ambitious international effort to date. We are proud at Canadensys to be able to contribute our expertise to this work as we continue to define Canada’s lunar rover activities.”
Frank Teti, Canadensys General Manager, added “Our work on the Canadian Space Agency’s Lunar Rover Mission, as well as all our international lunar rover work, is being leveraged towards this LUV development for Canada.”
Canadensys Aerospace brings a rich heritage to the Lunar Utility Rover work. The firm is currently designing and manufacturing Canada’s first lunar rover, LRM. The company is also actively working on lunar rovers for European, American and other international government and commercial customers. More broadly, Canadensys Aerospace builds lunar surface infrastructure for international customers, and currently has over 20 instruments on the lunar surface that have been carried on a host of missions in the past three years.
As part of the 2023 federal budget, the Canadian Space Agency secured funding of $1.43 billion to further contribute to lunar space exploration, including $1.35 billion over 13 years for LUV and LUV technologies.
Large Canadensys lunar test vehicles being used to develop operational concepts for lunar missions
A large Canadensys lunar test vehicle being used to develop operational concepts for lunar missions
Sample LUV configuration being evaluated by Canadensys
About Canadensys Aerospace:
Canadensys Aerospace Corporation, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, is an innovative space systems company, serving customers around the world. We blend our advanced space hardware capabilities with smart, ruggedized designs to develop unique solutions for planetary, orbital and terrestrial environments. Our modern, commercial business approach enables effective space program and mission development for both commercial and government customers.