Airbus announced today that it has been chosen by MDA Space Ltd. (TSX: MDA), a leading provider of advanced technology and services for the growing global space industry, to supply solar arrays for the MDA AURORATM satellite product line. This software-defined satellite system enables global constellations to expand communication networks worldwide.
Airbus will deliver over 200 Sparkwing solar arrays, which will be manufactured at the company’s high-capacity facility in Leiden, the Netherlands. These arrays, the largest Sparkwing models to date, will feature two wings with five panels each, covering a photovoltaic area exceeding 30 square meters. This supply chain will support MDA AURORATM’s deliveries, particularly for Telesat’s Lightspeed Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. Lightspeed aims to provide enterprise-level connectivity to customers around the world.
“We are thrilled to be selected as the solar array supplier for MDA Space and Telesat’s Lightspeed project. Our Sparkwing solar arrays are perfectly suited for constellations like this, offering industrialized production and optimized performance in space,” said Rob Postma, Managing Director of Airbus in the Netherlands.
The MDA AURORATM product line, designed to adapt to the evolving needs of the satellite industry, offers operators unmatched flexibility and functionality. This innovation significantly enhances constellation performance while reducing costs and speeding up market entry.
Sparkwing, developed by Airbus in the Netherlands with the support of the Netherlands Space Office and ESA, is the world’s first commercially available off-the-shelf solar array for small satellites. Initially designed for LEO missions requiring between 100W and 2000W of power, Sparkwing now caters to higher power demands and larger missions, providing customizable configurations for various satellite needs. Beyond power generation, it offers high stiffness, minimal integration efforts, and flexible spacecraft design requirements.
