MDA Space has secured a 1.1 billion Canadian dollar ($768 million) contract to construct more than 50 satellites for Globalstar's next-generation low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation. The constellation is backed by Apple.
The Canadian manufacturer will base the constellation on its new reprogrammable Aurora platform. This platform recently passed a preliminary design review for Telesat's Lightspeed network.
Globalstar's "Extended MSS [Mobile Satellite Services] Network" plans were outlined in November, following Apple's commitment of $1.7 billion to the company. Apple is also acquiring a 20% equity stake in the new connectivity constellation.
Apple is funding the majority of costs to replenish Globalstar's existing L-band LEO network. This network has supported emergency SOS services for iPhones in areas without terrestrial network coverage since 2022.
MDA also 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 providing the buses for these satellites, with deployments scheduled to commence before the end of the year.
The launch dates for Globalstar's Aurora satellites and their potential upgrades have not been disclosed. Launches for Telesat's constellation of 198 750-kilogram satellites are scheduled to begin in mid-2026.
Globalstar's Aurora satellites will be built alongside Lightspeed at a high-volume manufacturing facility MDA began constructing in September in Quebec, Canada. The facility is projected to produce two satellites per day once fully operational.
MDA aims to secure customers to support the production of 400 satellites per year.
Globalstar's current constellation of 31 satellites enables basic texting for iPhones beyond cell tower range, but lacks the capacity for bandwidth-intensive services.
Apple recently enabled iPhones with a T-Mobile cellular plan to join beta tests for SpaceX's Starlink service in the United States. Starlink's beta service is currently limited to SOS and basic texting, with expanded capabilities dependent on constellation growth and regulatory approval.