Rocket Lab Corporation, a global leader in launch services and space systems, has announced the successful launch of eight advanced satellite platforms the company built for MDA Space, prime contractor for the replenishment of Globalstar’s existing constellation, which provides direct-to-device communications services and IoT applications from orbit.
The satellite platforms are the first batch in a constellation of 17 platforms Rocket Lab has built under a $143 million deal with MDA Space. The first eight of the 17 satellites were launched on August 15 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 9:12 p.m. ET.
Rocket Lab has made contact with all eight satellites and confirmed all are performing nominally and generating power on orbit. Spacecraft commissioning has now begun to prepare the satellites to extend reliable mobile satellite services to customers globally as part of Globalstar’s existing network.
Sir Peter Beck, Founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, stated:
“Our satellite platforms are a powerful demonstration of Rocket Lab’s capabilities brought to life. From spacecraft platform design, build, testing, and on-orbit operations, we’re executing across the entire mission lifecycle, and our approach is delivering the speed, reliability, and agility that competitive direct-to-device constellations like this one demand. With our scaled manufacturing, operational expertise, and vertically integrated satellite platforms that bring cost and schedule under control, we’re positioned to be the partner of choice for the constellation economy and proud to have supported this deployment for MDA Space and its customer Globalstar.”
The 500-kilogram satellite platforms are a tailored version of the company’s standard Lightning platform. Built and tested at Rocket Lab’s headquarters in Long Beach, California, the satellite platforms feature the company’s suite of in-house components and subsystems, including solar arrays, reaction wheels, flight and ground software, parts of the suite of avionics, and Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) radios.
The Lightning platform is in production for multiple other high-profile missions, including a recently awarded space domain awareness programme with the U.S. Space Force and the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 2 Transport Layer-Beta and Tranche 3 Tracking Layer constellations.
