A New Dawn in Satellite Technology: MDA Space Unveils AURORA

A New Dawn in Satellite Technology: MDA Space Unveils AURORA
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 19, 2024

MDA Space (TSX: MDA), a leader in the global space sector, introduced its innovative software-defined satellite series named AURORA at the Satellite 2024 Conference in Washington, D.C. The AURORA line signifies a leap forward in satellite technology, offering a mix of flexibility and advanced functionality to enhance satellite constellation performance, while minimizing both costs and time to deployment.

Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space, highlighted the AURORA line as marking the beginning of a new digital communication era. "AURORA represents a pivotal shift in satellite technology," he remarked. "It combines top-tier satellite performance and economics, providing cost-efficient solutions for satellite constellations. We are proud to announce Telesat as our anchor customer among the two initial contracts for the AURORA series."

The AURORA series brings several key innovations to the satellite industry:

- A new category of modular, software-defined satellites featuring a diverse range of digital payload technologies. These technologies are tailored for multiple orbits and frequencies, offering dynamic in-orbit adjustment capabilities. This enhances service quality and capacity delivery with unmatched power efficiency. - The inclusion of a scalable on-board processor and software-defined router allows for optimized communication pathways within satellite constellations, enhancing the efficiency of data transfer between user and gateway links, as well as between satellites via optical links.

- Adoption of digital beamforming technology and electronically-steered arrays that support direct RF conversion and native beam hopping, ensuring compliance with DVB standards.

- A comprehensive constellation software suite that includes sophisticated onboard telecom software, a real-time digital payload simulator, and an expandable constellation network manager.

- An advanced satellite platform engineered for constellation use, optimized for digital payloads, and designed to support high-volume production.

- A modular digital payload system designed for high-efficiency manufacturing, incorporating AI and augmented reality technologies to streamline mass production, thus significantly lowering costs and speeding up delivery times.

The introduction of AURORA follows MDA Space's recent rebranding, reflecting its significant growth, expanded operations across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, and an increasing workforce, reaffirming its position as a pivotal player in the space industry.