MDA Space expands AURORA satellite line into direct-to-device market
MDA Space
Per SatNews: MDA Space is applying its software-defined AURORA satellite platform to the direct-to-device market, targeting 2027 deliveries.
what happened
MDA Space announced September 1 an expansion of its AURORA software-defined satellite product line to serve the direct-to-device (D2D) market, per SatNews. The LEO satellite payloads use high-gain phased array antennas with active beamforming operating in mid-band and sub-6 GHz terrestrial spectrum, generating thousands of dynamic spot beams, and are built on the automated manufacturing line MDA developed for the Telesat Lightspeed constellation at its Quebec facility. MDA said it expects initial D2D satellite deliveries to commercial constellation customers in 2027. CEO Mike Greenley said the convergence of space and terrestrial cellular networks "represents one of the largest market opportunities in commercial satellite manufacturing." MDA is separately the prime contractor on EchoStar's AURORA-based D2D LEO constellation, announced in 2025.
why it matters
MDA is positioning its AURORA manufacturing line, already running for Telesat Lightspeed and EchoStar, as a general-purpose D2D satellite platform rather than a single-customer build, competing for the next wave of direct-to-cell constellation orders as operators worldwide chase the AST SpaceMobile/Starlink-defined D2D market. No new contract or customer was named alongside the announcement.
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- MDA Space
- Category
- product
- Impact
- noise
- SNR
- 3 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-09-01
- Published
- 2026-09-02 05:29 UTC