MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) said it is providing the initial study for an information solution to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) for use on NASA‘s 2009 Mars Science Laboratory mission. MDA said the solution will allow geologists to determine the composition of martian rocks and soil, as well as provide them with information on water activity, the formation of the planet’s crust and how the surface has been impacted by weather.

The total value of the contract awarded by the CSA is Cdn. $1.2 million ($985,000)