MDA Space to build satellites for Globalstar’s Apple-backed next-gen constellation

TAMPA, Fla. — MDA Space announced Feb. 10 it is building more than 50 satellites for Globalstar’s Apple-backed next-generation low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation under a 1.1 billion Canadian dollar ($768 million) contract.The Canadian manufacturer said the constellation will be based on its new reprogrammable Aurora platform, which recently passed a preliminary design review for anchor customer Telesat’s Lightspeed network.Few details were provided about the latest contract, first teased in 2023 after MDA Space disclosed it had received initial funding from an unnamed customer to kick off the project.Globalstar outlined plans for an “Extended MSS [Mobile Satellite Services] Network” in November after revealing Apple’s commitment to inject $1.7 billion into the company. Apple is also taking a 20% equity stake in the new connectivity constellation.Meanwhile, Apple is funding most of the costs to replenish Globalstar’s existing L-band LEO network, which has supported emergency SOS services for iPhones when terrestrial networks are unavailable since 2022.MDA has a $327 million contract to provide 17 satellites for Globalstar’s constellation refresh, with options for up to nine additional satellites at $11.4 million each. Rocket Lab is supplying the buses for these satellites, with deployments slated to begin before the end of the year.Launches for Telesat’s constellation of 198 750-kilogram satellites are scheduled to begin in mid-2026.MDA CEO Mike Greenley told SpaceNews the company is currently working on the design stage of Globalstar’s Aurora program, with satellite production expected in 2026.Globalstar’s Aurora satellites would be built alongside Lightspeed at a high-volume manufacturing facility MDA began constructing in September in Quebec, Canada.“We are scaling up our capacity with the expansion of the Montreal facility,” Greenley said via email.“Once that facility is operational, we expect to produce up to two satellites per day which translates to approximately 400 satellites per year, so we have capacity for more orders.”The companies have not revealed what enhancements Globalstar’s Aurora satellites might introduce for iPhones.Globalstar’s current constellation of 31 satellites enables basic texting for iPhones beyond the reach of cell towers, but lacks the capacity for bandwidth-intensive services such as voice and broadband.Apple recently enabled iPhones with a T-Mobile cellular plan to join beta tests for SpaceX’s rival Starlink service in the United States. The move rattled investors, sending shares of Globalstar and other direct-to-smartphone connectivity providers lower.T-Mobile announced Feb. 9 that AT&T and Verizon subscribers can access the beta tests for free until the service launches in July, when it will cost non-T-Mobile customers $20 a month per line.Starlink’s beta service is also currently limited to SOS and basic texting, with expanded capabilities dependent on constellation growth and regulatory approval for increased satellite power.Greenley discussed the burgeoning constellation market and MDA’s plans for it in an episode of Commercial Space Transformers in November.