MDA Space wins repeat OneWeb antenna order from Airbus
Brampton-based MDA Space has been selected by Airbus to build antennas for Eutelsat-owned OneWeb's low Earth orbit constellation. The order covers more than 1,300 units.
The Canadian space company will design and manufacture more than 880 Ka-band steerable antennas and 440 Ku-band user replacement antennas for the satellites Airbus is producing for OneWeb.
The work follows an earlier contract tied to the same network. In 2016, OneWeb ordered nearly 2,000 antennas from MDA Space for the constellation, which was described at the time as the second largest in low Earth orbit, with about 650 satellites.
MDA Space is based in Canada and operates across robotics, satellite systems and geointelligence. It has more than 4,000 employees and a track record spanning more than 450 missions, according to the company.
OneWeb has become one of the more prominent low Earth orbit communications networks, competing in a market where operators are investing in larger fleets and periodic replacement programs to maintain service continuity. The latest antenna order adds another manufacturing tranche for the network's next batch of satellites.
Repeat order
The latest contract is part of a broader expansion of the OneWeb system under Eutelsat ownership. Airbus received contracts from Eutelsat in December 2024 and December 2025 to build 100 satellites, followed by 340 more for the constellation extension.
The antennas for the new order will be built, assembled and tested at MDA Space's satellite production facility in Montréal, before being integrated into Airbus Arrow telecommunications satellites.
The two antenna types serve different functions in the network. The Ka-band steerable antennas are intended for communications links, while the Ku-band units are user replacement antennas for the constellation.
MDA Space has supplied antenna systems for more than 350 satellite missions. The organisation has also been involved in contracts with NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. MDA is currently under contract to the Canadian authorities for the development of Canadarm3.
Constellation demand
The contract adds to signs of continued spending on low Earth orbit satellite fleets as operators expand coverage and replace ageing hardware in orbit. For suppliers, that creates work not only for initial deployment but also for replenishment cycles as constellations mature.
MDA Space Chief Executive Officer Mike Greenley said the contract reflects the company's position in the satellite communications supply chain.
"The selection of MDA Space for this repeat order underscores our company's reputation as a reliable partner in enabling advanced satellite communications and connectivity around the world," Greenley said.
He added that the market for large satellite constellations is expanding beyond initial deployment.
"With the growth of satellite constellations continuing to accelerate, MDA Space is ideally positioned to meet full constellation life cycles from the initiation to expansion to the replacement of satellites, antennas and subsystems," he said.