MDA Extends Satellite Information Contract With U.S. Department Of Agriculture

Communications Today, Nov 7, 2001

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. [MDA] Tuesday announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has agreed to extend an existing information contract with MDA's Geographic Information Products group.

The government uses the satellite-based information to estimate crop production, to investigate crop health and to assess crop damage from bad weather. The original pact with the USDA to supply LANDSAT-7 Earth-observation data was first announced by MDA subsidiary RADARSAT International (RSI) Oct. 19, 2000.

This week's signing confirms an extension of the contract to September 30, 2002---with an option to continue for an additional three years into 2005.

Kevin O'Neill, RSI's sales director for Western North America said, "In the past seven months, over 2,000 LANDSAT 7 scenes were processed and delivered to the USDA, often within 9 days of data reception. This extension reflects the USDA's confidence in MDA to deliver the product on a timely basis."

The contract's one-year extension is valued at $US $1 million (CDN). >TK