MDA Space taps Airbus to provide solar arrays for its satellite constellation
RICHMOND, British Columbia - MDA Space in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada needed solar arrays for the company's AURORA satellite product line, which is designed to extend global communication networks. They found their solution from Airbus in Leiden, the Netherlands. The contract involves the delivery of over 200 Sparkwing solar arrays, to be produced at Airbus' manufacturing facility in Leiden, Netherlands.
The Sparkwing solar array, Airbus’ largest to date, features two wings with five panels each, covering more than 30 square meters. These arrays will help power MDA’s AURORA satellites, which will support Telesat’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, Lightspeed. Telesat’s Lightspeed aims to deliver high-performance connectivity services to businesses worldwide.
“We are delighted to be selected as the supplier of solar arrays to partner with MDA Space for Telesat Lightspeed. Our industrialized Sparkwing solar array product not only meets the demands of this ground-breaking constellation project, but is also tailored to ensure optimal performance in space. The Sparkwing solar arrays are designed for series production, ideally suited for constellations, and we will accordingly contribute to a project enabling space connectivity,” said Rob Postma, Managing Director of Airbus in the Netherlands.
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The MDA AURORA satellite line is designed to offer flexibility and functionality for satellite operators, addressing both technical and business needs. Sparkwing, the world's first commercially available off-the-shelf solar array for small satellites, was initially designed for LEO missions requiring power between 100W and 2000W. The array can now accommodate higher power demands and larger missions beyond LEO.
The Sparkwing product offers a variety of configurations, allowing customers to choose from more than 30-panel dimensions that can be assembled into deployable wings with one to three panels per wing. This design simplifies integration efforts and minimizes demands on the spacecraft’s structure. Sparkwing received support from the Netherlands Space Office and the European Space Agency (ESA).
Jamie Whitney
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