Telesat is a Canadian satellite communications company and operator, providing connectivity solutions to telecom, government, and enterprise clients globally. They are currently developing Telesat Lightspeed, a low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation of 198 satellites designed for high-speed, low-latency broadband services. Telesat partners with companies like MDA Space, Orange, and Intellian for satellite manufacturing, terrestrial infrastructure, and user terminals. The company aims to begin launching satellites in 2026, with the constellation fully operational by 2027.
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Startups like OneWeb and established companies like Telesat and SpaceX are developing LEO broadband constellations.
Telesat expected a selection between the Airbus and Maxar/Thales Alenia Space designs by spring 2019.
SSL is pivoting toward building smaller satellites and constellations of non-geostationary satellites, including competing to build a 117-satellite low-Earth-orbit system for Canada’s Telesat.
Telesat awarded two study contracts this summer to Airbus and to a team of Maxar Technologies and Thales Alenia Space to conduct detailed analyses of how to build the constellation and associated ground systems.
Telstar 18 Vantage is a high-throughput satellite and is the second Telesat spacecraft launched by SpaceX that summer following the 2018-07-22 launch of Telstar 19 Vantage on another Falcon 9 Block 5 from the same launch pad.
SSL is working with Thales Alenia Space to design Telesat’s low Earth orbit broadband satellite constellation.
Telesat awarded a similar constellation design contract on 2018-07-30 to a team of Maxar Technologies and Thales Alenia Space.
The prototype LEO satellite that Surrey Satellite Technology Limited built for Telesat launched in January on an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
Surrey Satellite Technology Limited, which is part of Airbus, built the prototype LEO satellite Telesat is currently testing.
Telesat LEO will provide multiple terabits per second of Ka-band broadband connectivity.
Telesat awarded a second constellation design contract on 2018-08-01 to Airbus Defence and Space to begin studies on a proposed system of 117 low Earth orbit communications satellites.
Telesat anticipates selecting a manufacturer for its LEO broadband constellation in mid-2019.
Telesat’s planned LEO constellation will offer multiple terabits of secure throughput with latency low enough to rival fiber.
Telesat selected Thales Alenia Space and Maxar Technologies’ Space Systems Loral division on 2018-07-30 to collaborate on the design of its low Earth orbit broadband satellite constellation.
Telesat revised its schedule and now plans to have its LEO constellation in service in 2022 instead of 2021.
The design collaboration positions Thales Alenia Space and Maxar Technologies as a team that could ultimately build Telesat’s 117-satellite system and accompanying ground segment if Telesat makes a manufacturing award in mid-2019.
Telesat is testing a prototype satellite from Surrey Satellite Technology Limited that launched in January on an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
SSL, working with the University of Toronto’s Space Flight Laboratory, built one of two prototype LEO satellites for Canadian fleet operator Telesat that was lost in a November Soyuz launch failure.
Telesat is preparing a constellation of 117 low-Earth-orbit spacecraft for high-speed broadband service planned for 2022.
Telstar-19 Vantage is the first of two SSL-built satellites that SpaceX is launching for Telesat in the year of the launch.