Insider Brief
- MDA Space has contracted Airbus to supply over 200 solar arrays for MDA’s AURORA satellite product line, which supports Telesat’s Lightspeed constellation.
- Airbus will manufacture the solar arrays, called Sparkwing, at its high-capacity facility in Leiden, Netherlands.
- These will be the largest Sparkwing arrays built so far, spanning over 30 square meters of photovoltaic area.
MDA Space has contracted Airbus to supply over 200 solar arrays for MDA’s AURORA satellite product line. These arrays will support Telesat’s Lightspeed, a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation designed to extend global communication networks and deliver enterprise-level connectivity worldwide.
Airbus will manufacture the solar arrays, called Sparkwing, at its high-capacity facility in Leiden, Netherlands. These will be the largest Sparkwing arrays built so far, featuring two wings with five panels each and spanning over 30 square meters of photovoltaic area. The Sparkwing arrays have been designed specifically for large-scale satellite constellations and are optimized for performance in space.
Rob Postma, Managing Director of Airbus in the Netherlands, expressed Airbus’ excitement about contributing to the Lightspeed project, noting that the Sparkwing solar arrays are designed for mass production, making them ideal for satellite constellations.
The MDA AURORA platform provides operators with software-defined flexibility and aims to enhance the performance of satellite constellations while reducing costs and speeding up delivery. The Sparkwing solar arrays will be integrated into the AURORA platform, ensuring that it meets the high power demands of LEO missions and beyond.
Sparkwing is the first commercially available, off-the-shelf solar array for small satellites. Initially optimized for LEO missions requiring power between 100W and 2000W, the system offers flexibility in configuration and design. Its modular design allows it to be adapted for more complex missions, offering higher power generation and greater durability.
Developed by Airbus in the Netherlands with support from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Netherlands Space Office, Sparkwing aims to simplify satellite integration and provide a reliable power solution for a wide range of space missions.
Image credit: Airbus
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