- Telesat (TSX:TSAT), a global satellite operator, and MDA Space (TSX:MDA), a key player in the global space industry, have successfully completed the preliminary design review for the Telesat Lightspeed low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation program
- The review is a crucial phase in the program, confirming that the design meets all functional and performance requirements
- The Telesat Lightspeed LEO constellation aims to provide enterprise-class connectivity to customers worldwide
- Telesat Corp. stock (TSX:TSAT) last traded at C$24.15 and MDA Space stock (TSX:MDA) last traded at C$29.11
Telesat (TSX:TSAT), a global satellite operator, and MDA Space (TSX:MDA), a key player in the global space industry, have successfully completed the preliminary design review for the Telesat Lightspeed low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation program. This achievement marks a significant step forward in the development of the innovative satellite network.
The review is a crucial phase in the program, confirming that the design meets all functional and performance requirements. The successful completion of review for multiple key subsystems helps to show the maturity of the design.
The Telesat Lightspeed LEO constellation aims to provide enterprise-class connectivity to customers worldwide. In 2023, Telesat selected MDA Space as the prime contractor for the constellation, awarding an initial order for 198 satellites featuring MDA’s new AURORATM digital satellite technology.
“Our teams have worked hard to reach this important milestone, which validated the capability of the satellite design to meet the Telesat Lightspeed performance requirements,” Telesat’s president and CEO, Dan Goldberg stated in a media update. “We are excited to move forward with the next phase, confident in the advanced capabilities of the satellites.”
“The Telesat and MDA Space program teams have been working closely together to advance the Telesat Lightspeed vision and to reach this important program milestone,” MDA Space CEO Mike Greenley added. “With construction of our new high-volume satellite manufacturing facility in Montreal underway, we are focused on continuing to advance the next phase of the program.”
With the preliminary design review phase now complete, Telesat and MDA Space are moving into the detailed engineering and manufacturing phase, which includes the critical design review. Earlier this year, MDA Space began expanding its high-volume satellite manufacturing facility in Québec, Canada, to support the production of the Telesat Lightspeed satellites. The first satellite launches are planned for 2026.
Telesat’s Lightspeed network will be composed of 198 low-Earth orbit global broadband satellites tailored to enterprise needs, including gigabits-per-second speeds, dynamic bandwidth allocation, and responsiveness in line with fibre networks while being more cost-effective.
Lightspeed will be the first satellite network in the world to meet the requirements of telecom, government, maritime and aeronautical customers.
Telesat is one of the world’s largest satellite operators. The company boasts a more than 50-year history of resolving complex communications challenges that improve operations and drive profitable growth.
The Canadian technology provider to the global space industry, MDA specializes in robotics, satellite systems and geointelligence for the global space industry with a track record spanning more than 55 years and more than 450 missions.
Telesat Corp. stock (TSX:TSAT) last traded at C$24.15 and has risen 74.75 per cent since the year began.
MDA Space stock (TSX:MDA) last traded at C$29.11 and is 152.69 per cent higher since the year began.
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(Top photo: MDA Space.)
