TheDavid Florida Laboratory is theCanadian Space Agency's spacecraft assembly, integration and testing centre, inShirleys Bay, just west of centralOttawa. It is operated by theCanadian Space Agency and rented out to Canadian and foreign aerospace and telecommunications companies and organizations for qualifying space bound equipment such as communication orscientific satellites, or components made to be placed on satellites or installed in a space station. The laboratory was named to honourC. David Florida, a leading Canadian pioneer in space research.
Officially opened in September 1972, the lab has been expanded over the years to accommodate the demand for its services. There are many support facilities such as storage areas,clean rooms, electrodynamic shakers,anechoic chambers, space (thermal and vacuum) simulation chambers and in-house mechanical, electrical and electronic shops.
In the past the David Florida Laboratory has tested satellites forBrazil,Indonesia, and theEuropean Space Agency.Inmarsat has designated it as their authorized antenna test house. It has also tested Canadian satellites such asRADARSAT-1 and previously tested theSpecial Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (Dextre) which now forms part of theMobile Servicing System of theInternational Space Station. It completed work on theOrbiter Boom Sensor System which first flew onShuttle Discovery duringSTS-114. The Laboratory worked onRADARSAT-2 prior to launch in 2007.
Recently the David Florida Laboratory has completed the integration and environmental testing of theMaritime Monitoring and Messaging Microsatellite (M3MSat). This is a technology demonstration satellite that will be used to assess the utility of having in space an Automatic Identification System (AIS) for reading signals from vessels to better manage transport in Canadian waters.M3MSat was scheduled to be launched in 2015.[1]
The government announced in March 2024 that the laboratory will close by March 31, 2025.[2]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)45°20′50″N75°53′11″W / 45.347094°N 75.886250°W /45.347094; -75.886250
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