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EchoStar Awards MDA Space US$1.3 Billion Contract for 3GPP-Compliant LEO Direct-to-Device Satellite Network

It kicks off volume manufacturing of over 100 Aurora D2D satellites at MDA’s expanded Montreal facility ahead of commercial service in 2029.

A woman enters the offices of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates in Richmond, B.C., Tuesday, January 8, 2008. MDA is selling its space missions and satellite business to Alliant Techsystems. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Richard Lam

Overview

  • The initial US$1.3 billion deal covers design, manufacturing and testing of more than 100 software-defined satellites, with options to expand to 200 units at a total value of US$2.5 billion.
  • The Aurora constellation will adhere to 3GPP non-terrestrial network and Open RAN standards to deliver messaging, voice, broadband data and video directly to unmodified 5G devices.
  • MDA Space has begun a 185,000-square-foot expansion of its Montreal production plant to support high-volume assembly, integration and testing of the LEO satellites.
  • EchoStar’s exclusive AWS-4/S-band spectrum licenses and leadership in NTN standardization underpin its ability to serve 350 million Americans and over 7 billion people globally.
  • Satellite deliveries are slated to start in 2028, with full commercial launch of the direct-to-device network expected in 2029, bolstering U.S. leadership in non-terrestrial 5G connectivity.