Ibadan, 22 September 2026. – Danish aerospace and defense company Terma has been selected by Canadian space technology company MDA Space as part of the supply chain for its AURORA software-defined satellite platform. Terma will provide ground support equipment (GSE) for AURORA satellite production, including systems used to support the testing and checkout of spacecraft during manufacturing and integration.
Terma joins the AURORA supply chain
Terma’s contribution will include Power Special Check-Out Equipment (SCOEs) based on its UniverSAS product, and radio-frequency SCOEs as well as Central Checkout Systems (CCS) based on the company’s CCS5 platform. The equipment is intended to support electrical, radio-frequency and system-level testing of AURORA satellites, helping MDA Space verify spacecraft performance during satellite integration, production and launch preparation.
MDA AURORA is MDA Space’s software-defined satellite product line, built around a standardized and modular architecture that can support different missions, non-geostationary orbits and frequency requirements. The platform is designed to enable dynamic in-orbit reconfiguration of satellite communications capabilities, allowing operators to adjust coverage, bandwidth and other network functions as mission requirements change.
Terma’s ground support equipment will therefore form part of the infrastructure MDA Space relies on to test and validate AURORA satellites before launch. Furthermore, the equipment’s modular nature is intended to support repeatable testing across multiple spacecraft while allowing the systems to be adapted to different satellite configurations. This is particularly relevant as MDA Space scales production of the AURORA platform for larger satellite constellations.
“We are very happy to strengthen our partnership with MDA through this new contract,” says Mats Warstedt, Senior Vice President, Space, Terma. “This project not only demonstrates trust in our solutions but also underlines our role in helping MDA Space ensure the reliability of satellite constellations from early development through to launch readiness.”
Supporting AURORA satellite production
Terma’s selection consequently adds another layer to the growing AURORA ecosystem, this time on the ground-support side of satellite production. By supplying power, RF and central checkout equipment, Terma will support the testing and validation processes needed to manufacture and prepare AURORA satellites at scale.
More so, as MDA Space expands AURORA across commercial broadband, direct-to-device and defense applications, the partnership highlights the wider supplier network developing around a satellite architecture designed for high-volume production and different mission requirements.
