MDA Space Wins $474 Million Arctic Satellite Contract Expansion

MDA Space Ltd. secured a $474 million contract expansion to supply additional MDA AURORA satellites for the Lightspeed low Earth orbit constellation operated by Telesat Corporation. This agreement increases the number of fully funded satellites from 156 to 225, with MDA Space providing all 225 units. The expansion integrates 500 MHz of military Ka-band spectrum to replace commercial spectrum, supporting the Enhanced Satellite Communications Project-Polar program to provide connectivity for the Canadian Armed Forces in the Arctic.

Concurrent with this expansion, the Government of Canada appointed MDA Space as the prime contractor for a secure Ultra-High Frequency and X-band constellation in Medium Earth Orbit, with Telesat serving as a subcontractor. The satellites for these initiatives will be manufactured at the MDA Space facility in Montréal.

Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space, stated that reliable military communication in the Arctic is a necessity for protecting Canadian sovereignty, maintaining situational awareness, coordinating joint operations with allies, and responding to emergencies.