Spar Aerospace Limited is a Canadian shareholder-owned company engaged in the design, development, manufacture and servicing of systems for the space, robotics, communications, remote sensing, electro-optics and aviation markets.

Spar has gained international recognition as an advanced technology company since its inception 25 years ago in the summer of 1967 when Canada’s space industry was in its infancy. The budding frontier of space held many opportunities for those bold enough to seize them. A few young space engineers with deHavilland Aircraft Company of Canada Limited had been engaged on the very successful Alouette and Isis series of research satellites. When deHavilland decided to concentrate its activities in the field of aircraft, an opportunity arose to acquire these engineers together with some supporting high technology activities. Thus, Spar was born on January 1, 1968.

During the initial years Spar’s space work was primarily electro-mechanical. From this grew the Canadarm and today’s activities on Space Station Freedom.
 

1.Most of the Canadaarm can be seen as it prepares to lift the giant Hubble Space Telescope out of the cargo bay area. 2.Radarsat is one of the world's most sophisticated earth observation satellites.  It can "see" in the darkness and through dense cloud cover.

In the mid 1970s Spar moved into space electronics through the acquisition of the Canadian space operations of RCA Limited and Northern Telecom. Over the years Spar has dedicated an ever-increasing effort to the development of electro-optical sensors for use in space and on earth. Today Spar’s electro-mechanical and electronic skills are melded in both the Radarsat, MSAT and Space Station programs.

The Radarsat program, Spar’s first major entry into the new market of remotely sensing the earth’s environment and its resources, is well under way. Spar, with Hughes Aircraft, will build North America’s first Mobile Communications satellites. MSAT marks an important transition in the future market for satellite communications technology and services. The Spar-led Canadian team continues preliminary design of the world’s most advanced robotics systems for Space Station Freedom. These programs will propel Spar to new heights of achievement both in terms of exciting technologies and financial performance.

Spar’s sales have grown from $5 million to well over $300 million and are still growing. Employ- ment has increased from 280 to over 2,500 people.

Spar began operations in a World War II facility. Today it operates from ten modern facilities in Canada and the United States. As well, Spar leads a dynamic team of high technology companies from coast to coast in Canada. This outstanding team provides the technical breadth that has enabled Spar, and Canada, to undertake projects of a scope and magnitude undreamed of in 1968.

Spar is the Great Canadian Space Company.