MDA Space has been selected by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation to design and manufacture the digital payload, antennas and key subsystems for the next-generation defence communications satellite ordered by Japan's Ministry of Defense. The award, announced on June 25, 2026, deepens MDA Space's footprint in the fast-growing market for resilient, anti-jamming military satellite communications.
Replacing Kirameki-2 With a Jam-Resistant Successor
The new spacecraft will replace DSN-2, also known as Kirameki-2, in geostationary orbit. Its purpose is to give Japanese forces a hardened satellite communications capability with enhanced resistance to electronic interference at a moment when contested electromagnetic environments have become a central concern for allied militaries. The heart of MDA Space's contribution is an advanced, anti-jamming multi-beam payload built around digital beamforming that can be reconfigured dynamically while the satellite is in orbit.
Work Split Across the UK, Canada and Japan
MDA Space in the United Kingdom will lead the core technology for the resilient digital payload, while the company's Montreal facility will manufacture and test the advanced antenna solutions, including the analog repeater, before shipping hardware to Japan. Final assembly, integration and testing will be carried out by Mitsubishi Electric. The contract is expected to be added to MDA Space's backlog in the second quarter of fiscal 2026.
A Busy Stretch for MDA Space
The Mitsubishi Electric selection caps an intense run of activity for the Canadian space prime. In recent weeks MDA Space won a CSA contract for a next-generation RADARSAT replenishment satellite and pushed ahead with its US$620 million acquisition of Blue Canyon Technologies, expanding its small-satellite manufacturing capacity. The Japan award signals that allied governments increasingly view MDA Space as a trusted supplier of secure communications payloads alongside its established Earth-observation and robotics portfolios.
Why Digital Beamforming Matters
Digital beamforming lets a single satellite electronically steer and reshape its beams without physically moving an antenna, concentrating power where it is needed and nulling out hostile jamming signals. That flexibility is what makes the technology so attractive for defence operators who must adapt to threats in real time. The same broader push toward sovereign, resilient space infrastructure is visible across the sector, from defence constellations to commercial efforts such as AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird deployments.
For Japan, the program represents a step toward a more survivable command-and-control backbone in orbit. For MDA Space, it is further evidence that its digital payload technology has found a receptive international market as militaries modernize aging communications fleets.
Reporting based on coverage from MDA Space, Mitsubishi Electric and PR Newswire.