MDA AURORA
MDA Space
MDA AURORA is MDA Space's flagship software-defined digital satellite product line, featuring digital beamforming payloads that enable dynamic, in-orbit reconfigurable coverage and bandwidth for large LEO/NGSO communications constellations.
Technical specifications
- Product type
- Software-defined digital communications satellite platform
- Payload architecture
- Digital beamforming-enabled, electronically-steered direct radiating array, Ka-band
- Beam capability
- Multiple simultaneous, electronically steered, dynamically reconfigurable beams with native beam hopping
- On-board processing
- Scalable regenerative on-board processor with software-defined packet router
- Reconfigurability
- FPGA-based software-defined capability allowing in-orbit mission adaptation
- Manufacturing capacity
- Up to 400 satellites per year at Montreal, Quebec facility
- Flight heritage - Telesat Lightspeed
- 198 satellites; PDR completed 2025; launches planned from 2026
- Flight heritage - Globalstar
- 50+ next-generation LEO satellites
- Flight heritage - EchoStar D2D
- 100+ satellites (up to 200+ with options)
- Technology milestone
- Industry-first satellite digital beamforming demonstration, announced July 2025
About
MDA AURORA is MDA Space’s flagship line of software-defined, digitally beamformed satellites, designed to give non-geostationary orbit operators unparalleled flexibility to dynamically adjust coverage, capacity and bandwidth in orbit. The platform uses digital beamforming-enabled, electronically-steered direct radiating arrays with direct RF conversion and native beam-hopping capability compliant with DVB standards. Each satellite carries a scalable regenerative on-board processor with a software-defined packet router. AURORA satellites use FPGA-based chips to reconfigure capability in software rather than fixed hardware, letting operators adapt missions post-launch. MDA Space manufactures AURORA at a high-volume, highly automated facility in Montreal/Quebec using AI-enabled robots, cobots and augmented-reality-assisted assembly, with expanded capacity of up to 400 satellites per year. Flight heritage and contracted programs include Telesat’s Lightspeed constellation (198 satellites), Globalstar’s next-generation LEO constellation (50+ satellites under a ~US$1.1 billion contract), and EchoStar’s direct-to-device LEO constellation (100+ satellites). MDA Space also achieved an industry-first satellite digital beamforming demonstration with AURORA technology in July 2025.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.