General business description	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
General business description
General business description	1. GENERAL BUSINESS DESCRIPTION Maxar Technologies Inc. (the “Company” or “Maxar”) is a partner and innovator in Earth Intelligence and Space Infrastructure. Maxar helps government and commercial customers monitor, understand and navigate the changing planet; deliver global broadband communications; and explore and advance the use of space. The Company’s approach combines decades of deep mission understanding and a proven commercial and defense foundation to deploy solutions and deliver insights with speed, scale and cost effectiveness. Maxar’s stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “MAXR.” On January 1, 2019, the Company completed a reorganization of its corporate structure pursuant to which the Company directly acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Maxar Technologies Ltd. (“Maxar Canada”), and the Company replaced Maxar Canada as the publicly-held parent company of the Maxar group (“U.S. Domestication”). Prior to U.S. Domestication, Maxar Canada reported to securities regulators in both Canada and the U.S., financial statements prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. Upon completion of the U.S. Domestication, and including the report herein, the Company has prepared its financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“U.S. GAAP”). Completion of the sale of MDA On April 8, 2020, the Company completed the sale of the MDA Business, the Company’s former Canadian subsidiary, to Neptune Acquisition Inc., a corporation existing under the laws of the Province of British Columbia and an affiliate of Northern Private Capital Ltd. (“MDA Purchaser”) (“MDA Transaction”). This divestiture represents a strategic shift in the Company’s business and, in accordance with U.S. GAAP, qualifies as a discontinued operation. As a result, the operating results and cash flows related to the MDA Business have been reflected as discontinued operations in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The assets and liabilities sold met the requirements to be classified within the Consolidated Balance Sheets under a held for sale designation as of December 31, 2019. See Note 4 for details. Acquisition of Vricon On July 1, 2020, the Company closed the acquisition of Vricon, Inc. (“Vricon”) by purchasing the remaining 50% ownership interest in Vricon (“Vricon Acquisition”). See Note 5 for details.

General business description

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

1. GENERAL BUSINESS DESCRIPTION

Maxar Technologies Inc. (the “Company” or “Maxar”) is a partner and innovator in Earth Intelligence and Space Infrastructure. Maxar helps government and commercial customers monitor, understand and navigate the changing planet; deliver global broadband communications; and explore and advance the use of space. The Company’s approach combines decades of deep mission understanding and a proven commercial and defense foundation to deploy solutions and deliver insights with speed, scale and cost effectiveness. Maxar’s stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “MAXR.”

On January 1, 2019, the Company completed a reorganization of its corporate structure pursuant to which the Company directly acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Maxar Technologies Ltd. (“Maxar Canada”), and the Company replaced Maxar Canada as the publicly-held parent company of the Maxar group (“U.S. Domestication”). Prior to U.S. Domestication, Maxar Canada reported to securities regulators in both Canada and the U.S., financial statements prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. Upon completion of the U.S. Domestication, and including the report herein, the Company has prepared its financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“U.S. GAAP”).

Completion of the sale of MDA

On April 8, 2020, the Company completed the sale of the MDA Business, the Company’s former Canadian subsidiary, to Neptune Acquisition Inc., a corporation existing under the laws of the Province of British Columbia and an affiliate of Northern Private Capital Ltd. (“MDA Purchaser”) (“MDA Transaction”). This divestiture represents a strategic shift in the Company’s business and, in accordance with U.S. GAAP, qualifies as a discontinued operation. As a result, the operating results and cash flows related to the MDA Business have been reflected as discontinued operations in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The assets and liabilities sold met the requirements to be classified within the Consolidated Balance Sheets under a held for sale designation as of December 31, 2019. See Note 4 for details.

Acquisition of Vricon

On July 1, 2020, the Company closed the acquisition of Vricon, Inc. (“Vricon”) by purchasing the remaining 50% ownership interest in Vricon (“Vricon Acquisition”). See Note 5 for details.