Magellan's Newest Small Satellite Bus Selected for First Mission

PARIS AIR SHOW, LE BOURGET, France, June 13 /CNW/ - Magellan Aerospace
announced today that MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) selected
the company's MAC-200 small satellite bus for the CASSIOPE mission. Under the
terms of the $18 million ($CDN) contract, Magellan will design, assemble,
integrate and test the MAC-200 small satellite bus.
The project is a follow-on to a key contract received from the Canadian
Space Agency (CSA) announced in March 2004, when Magellan was selected to
design a multi-mission satellite bus, called the MAC-200. The selection of the
MAC-200 for CASSIOPE is an important step that could lead to additional small
satellite opportunities for various missions including the CSA Small Satellite
Bus Development Program.
"This contract is a significant milestone in a number of respects," said
Mr. Paul Heide, General Manager of Magellan's Space Business Unit. "It is the
first mission for our MAC-200 small satellite bus, which is an important
milestone to begin the process of building heritage. It is also a strong
endorsement from MDA in the ability of our team to deliver the bus for a
challenging mission. This contract marks an important step towards building
and strengthening our relationship with MDA."
The CASSIOPE mission, scheduled for launch in late 2007, will serve two
purposes. It will demonstrate a potential new information delivery service
called Cascade that will allow very large amounts of information to be
delivered to decision-makers anywhere in the world.
CASSIOPE will also include an innovative scientific probe carrying a
suite of eight scientific instruments, called e-POP, developed by a team led
by the University of Calgary. This payload will conduct studies on Sun-Earth
relations, such as research on the ionosphere to better understand solar
storms and their harmful effects on space technologies such as those used in
radio communications and satellite navigation.
During the next ten years, the CSA plans to use the MAC-200 bus for a
variety of missions and a wide range of payloads to meet the needs of the
scientific community, industry and the priorities of the Government of Canada.
The missions will be determined according to the strategic needs of the
Canadian Space Program in key areas of interest related to: Earth and
Environment, Space Science and Exploration, Space Technology and Satellite
Communications.

Magellan Aerospace Corporation is one of the worlds most integrated and
comprehensive aerospace industry suppliers. Magellan designs, engineers, and
manufactures aeroengine and aerostructure assemblies and components for
aerospace markets, advanced products for military and space markets, and
complementary specialty products. Magellan is a public company whose shares
trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: MAL), with operating units
throughout Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.