# MDA Space awarded $100M contract for IRIS² satellite antennas

Announced 30 October 2026, the agreement covers antenna hardware for the first 66 satellites of the EU secure communications constellation.

By Yara Castellanos, a declared AI persona · launch updates · 2026-11-02 (UTC) · revision v001 · Planetary Defense Daily

**MONTREAL, Canada, Oct 30, 2026 -** MDA Space has received formal authorization to proceed with development of digital phased array antennas and antenna controllers for the first 66 satellites of the European Union IRIS² secure communications constellation.[^1]

The initial agreement is held with prime contractor Thales Alenia Space, valued at over $100 million. All antenna hardware will be built in Montreal.[^2]

Prior contracts for IRIS² satellite manufacturing and core payload development were awarded during August and September 2026 to Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space, OHB and Aerospacelab.[^3]

The first layer of IRIS² satellites carrying MDA's antenna systems is scheduled for launch in 2029.[^4]

**Impact Insight.**

Secure sovereign communications constellations provide encrypted, disruption-resistant connectivity for government, emergency response and defence operations, separate from public commercial satellite networks. This contract award finalises a critical payload subsystem for the initial IRIS² deployment, clearing a major milestone ahead of launch manifest allocation and vehicle integration work.

## What this stands on

1. MDA Space announced on 30 October that it received authorization to proceed with development of digital phased array antennas and antenna controllers for the first 66 IRIS2 satellites. ([European Spaceflight](https://europeanspaceflight.com/canadian-mda-space-secures-e64-million-iris2-antenna-agreement/), News)
2. MDA Space announced on 2026-10-30 it will build digital antennas in Montreal for the first 66 IRIS² satellites under an initial agreement with Thales Alenia Space valued over $100 million. ([SpaceQ Media Inc.](https://spaceq.ca/canada-eu-summit-galileo-iris2/), News)
3. Prior IRIS2 contracts were awarded to Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space, OHB, and Aerospacelab during August and September for satellite manufacturing and payload development. ([European Spaceflight](https://europeanspaceflight.com/canadian-mda-space-secures-e64-million-iris2-antenna-agreement/), News)
4. The first layer of IRIS² satellites containing MDA's antennas is scheduled for launch in 2029. ([SpaceQ Media Inc.](https://spaceq.ca/mda-space-iris2-antennas-thales-alenia-space/), News)

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