EMS Technologies Inc. will build the information delivery payload for the Cascade information system, EMS announced Sept. 1.

Under a Cdn. $27.1 million ($22.8 million) contract from MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., EMS’s Space & Technology/Montreal division will provide the Cascade CX information delivery payload based on Ka-band communication technology. EMS will design, manufacture, assemble and integrate a variety of payload units and subsystems and perform the payload system design, assembly, integration and test.

Cascade, part of the Cassiope satellite, is designed to provide large-scale data transfer service to remote commercial, civil and military clients anywhere in the world. It will support the transfer of digital files ranging in size from 50 to 500 gigabytes.

EMS expects to deliver the payload to Macdonald Dettwiler by the end of the second quarter 2007.