MDA SPACE Awarded $474 Million To Expand The Telesat Lightspeed LEO Constellation

Aug 04, 2026

MDA Space Ltd., will be supplying Telesat LEO ULC, a division of Telesat Corporation with additional MDA AURORA™ next-generation broadband satellites, coinciding with the operator's announcement today that it is expanding the Telesat Lightspeed low Earth orbit constellation.

Telesat announced that it is expanding its LEO constellation by 69 satellites, bringing the total number of fully funded satellites from 156 to 225. For MDA Space, this represents an increase of 27 satellites to the previously announced 198 satellites being manufactured for the Telesat Lightspeed LEO constellation. As a result, MDA Space has increased the total value of the contract by $474 million, which includes the new satellites, the addition of 500 MHz of military Ka-band to Lightspeed satellites currently being built, replacing the same amount of commercial Ka-band spectrum, and other long-lead items. 

This constellation expansion follows the Strategic Partnership Agreement announced last year between MDA Space, the Department of National Defence and Telesat to provide connectivity across the Canadian Arctic as part of the Enhanced Satellite Communications Project-Polar (ESCP-P) program, enabling the Canadian Armed Forces to operate effectively in the region.

"Reliable military communication in the Arctic is a necessity for protecting Canadian sovereignty, maintaining situational awareness, coordinating joint operations with allies, and responding quickly to emergencies in a region where every minute counts," said Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space. "As a Canadian-based global leader in space and satellite systems, MDA Space is proud to partner with Telesat and the Government of Canada to help equip the Canadian Armed Forces with some of the most advanced capabilities on the market to keep Canadians safe."

The ESCP-P program will also include a secure Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) and X-band constellation in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). The Government of Canada announced today that MDA Space will serve as the prime contractor responsible for end-to-end mission delivery and that negotiations to advance the definition and development of the UHF and X-band services are underway. Contract details will be disclosed once finalized. Telesat will serve as a subcontractor to MDA Space on this component of the program.

All MDA AURORA™ satellites being designed, built and tested by MDA Space for the Telesat Lightspeed constellation will feature 500 MHz of military Ka-band spectrum alongside Ka-band commercial spectrum, fulfilling a critical national defence commitment of facilitating military communications across the high‑latitude region in support of Canada's continental‑security objectives and its obligations to allied partners. The satellites will be built at the company's state-of-the-art, high-volume manufacturing facility in Montréal.

The majority of the increase in contract value of $474 million will be added to the company's backlog in the third quarter of 2026 as some long-lead-time items were previously added.