As of March 24, 2026 (ET) — mda space issued a formal statement after NASA announced it will pause the Gateway lunar-orbit station in its current form and shift focus to infrastructure for sustained lunar surface operations. its Canadarm3 contract with the Canadian Space Agency remains unchanged and that the arm’s design can pivot to multiple operating environments. MDA Space framed the move as a market opportunity and reiterated ongoing dialogue with the Canadian Space Agency.
Mda Space statement and market implications
MDA Space Ltd. said it is monitoring NASA’s discussions about accelerating a return to the lunar surface and confirmed that NASA intends to pause Gateway and repurpose equipment and partner commitments for lunar-surface use. The company emphasized: “There has been no change to any MDA Space contract and our work on the Canadarm3 program continues to progress. ” — MDA Space Ltd., corporate statement.
The firm noted that the Canadarm3 contract is with the Canadian Space Agency and not with NASA or the U. S. government, and that Canadarm3 was developed with flexibility to support low Earth orbit, cislunar space and the lunar surface. MDA Space described Canadarm3 as currently in the design phase, giving the program the ability to pivot to an alternate operating environment if required.
Immediate reactions
Jared Isaacman, head of NASA, announced the agency will “suspend the Gateway project under its current form” and concentrate on building infrastructure for a sustainable lunar surface presence. He also said NASA could redirect hardware already being developed for Gateway toward the new base plan.
Carlos Garcia-Galan, Deputy Director of the Gateway program at NASA, said: “Although this remains relevant for future exploration objectives, it is not indispensable for reaching our primary objectives. “
From industry, MDA Space welcomed the shift as creating a “broad, sustained new market opportunity” and said it remains fully focused on executing existing contracts while advancing commercial opportunities. The company reminded stakeholders that Canadarm3 serves multiple markets, including space agency and commercial customers.
Quick context and what’s next
NASA has outlined a pivot toward building a lunar surface base near the Moon’s south pole with an estimated investment of more than $20 billion to be spent over the next seven years, and plans to reuse applicable Gateway hardware and partner commitments where possible. The agency’s change rearranges the Artemis program architecture already undergoing multiple revisions and schedule shifts.
Looking ahead, MDA Space said it is in continuous dialogue with the Canadian Space Agency and expects Canada to continue contributing robotics technology to Artemis. Industry and government planning will now test whether Canadarm3’s design-phase flexibility allows a smooth pivot from an orbital servicing role to surface operations. Stakeholders will watch for formal decisions on equipment repurposing, contract adjustments, and the Canadian Space Agency’s guidance on Canadarm3 deployment as the Artemis architecture evolves.
