MDA Space lands >US$73.3M deal for IRIS² satellite antennas
What's the deal? MDA SpaceDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has signed an agreement worth more than US$73.3M with Thales Alenia SpaceDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → to supply digital antenna subsystems for 66 satellites in Europe's IRIS² constellation. The Canadian firm will build its AURORA broadband digital phased array antennas and antenna controllers for the first "Layer 1" low-Earth-orbit satellites, due to launch in 2029.
What's the product? AURORA is a direct radiating array with digital beamforming, engineered for high-volume production. MDA designs, manufactures, and tests the system at its facility in Montréal, drawing on its track record supplying satellite payloads to governments and private operators.
Why now? IRIS² — the EU Secure Connectivity Programme — has shifted from planning into industrial execution. In September, Eutelsat cleared Airbus and Thales Alenia Space to begin work on the first 66 LEO satellites, and MDA's authorization to proceed slots it in as a specialized supplier to that early batch.
What's the endgame? The program is positioned as the "new standard bearer for Europe's autonomous and sovereign space capability," per MDA. The award gives the company's AURORA technology a role in a flagship European sovereign-connectivity effort and adds to its roster of national programs.
What could go wrong? This is not yet the full contract. MDA says the definitive scope remains subject to finalization, and the initial authorization is only expected to enter backlog in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026.
"Entering into this ATP to deliver critical digital antenna subsystems for the first set of Layer 1 IRIS2 satellites, to be launched in 2029, is a landmark moment for MDA Space and our MDA AURORA technology," said chief executive officer Mike Greenley.
The signal: The deal extends a European sovereign-connectivity build-out to a Canadian supplier, but the value is modest against MDA's US$2.93B backlog reported at Q2 2026. The upside lies in what it signals — a foothold in a long-horizon program with potential follow-on work.
Read more: mda-en.investorroom.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
