MacDonald Dettwiler inks $7M deal to build antennas for Airbus
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
Canadian firm's antennas will be incorporated into next generation of Inmarsat's communications satellites
VANCOUVER—Canadian-based communications and robotics company MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. has won a new contract to build antenna subsystems for a Europeans satellite program.
Awarded by Airbus Defence and Space, MDA said the contract will add more than $7 million to its backlog.
Under the deal, the company will build antennas for the Inmarsat-6 mobile communication satellites. U.K.-based Inmarsat picked Airbus as the prime contractor for the approximately US$600 million satellite program last year.
MDA said its patented design allows its antennas to move to very fine increments, which increases the flexibility and performance of the satellite.
The first of the Inmarsat-6 satellites is expected to launch by 2020.
