Saft batteries selected for MDA AURORA™ supply chain for satellite constellation program application

• Saft will supply over 250 batteries based on its new generation VL10ES lithium-ion cells to power MDA AURORA™ when the solar panels are in eclipse.

• Contract is the largest in Saft’s history for satellite batteries.

• MDA Space Ltd. is a leading provider of advanced technology and services to the rapidly expanding global space industry.

Paris, 9 July 2024 – Saft, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies, will supply MDA Space Ltd (TSX:MDA) with over 250 rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries to power the MDA AURORA™ - a game-changing product line driving the transition from analog to digital satellite technology.

The order is for batteries based on the latest generation VL10ES Li-ion cells developed with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the French Center of Space Studies (CNES). It is the largest single contract in Saft’s long heritage in the satellite industry, with some 380 satellites currently orbiting with its space-proven batteries onboard.

The MDA AURORA supply chain will help support product deliveries for anchor customer Telesat’s low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, Telesat Lightspeed, an innovative, advanced global network that will bring a first-class connectivity to customers worldwide. Designed to meet the changing technical and business requirements of the satellite industry, the software-defined MDA AURORA product line provides operators with unparalleled flexibility and functionality, dramatically enhancing constellation performance at reduced cost and time to market.

The satellites will rely on Saft’s batteries to ensure a continuous and reliable supply of power during the periods of eclipse that occur on each earth orbit, when their solar panels will be cut off from the sunlight.

The MDA AURORA batteries will be built up from modules comprising Saft’s VL10ES cells developed to deliver high energy, safety and long life. At its Poitiers plant, Saft has also implemented automated construction lines to build standardized 4S1P (four series and one parallel) modules that enable a cost-effective battery solution while maintaining the highest levels of quality.

About Saft

Saft specializes in advanced technology battery solutions for industry, from the design and development to the production, customization and service provision. For more than 100 years, Saft’s longer-lasting batteries and systems have provided critical safety applications, back-up power and propulsion for our customers. Our innovative, safe and reliable technology delivers high performance on land, at sea, in the air and in space. Saft is powering industry and smarter cities, while providing critical back-up functionality in remote and harsh environments from the Arctic Circle to the Sahara Desert. Saft is a wholly owned subsidiary of TotalEnergies, a broad energy company that produces and markets energies on a global scale: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity.
We energize the world.

###

About MDA SPACE 

Building the space between proven and possible, MDA Space (TSX:MDA) is a trusted mission partner to the global space industry. A robotics, satellite systems and geointelligence pioneer with a 55-year+ story of world firsts and more than 450 missions, MDA Space is a global leader in communications satellites, Earth and space observation, and space exploration and infrastructure. The MDA Space team of more than 3,000 space experts in Canada, the US and the UK has the knowledge and know-how to turn an audacious customer vision into an achievable mission – bringing to bear a one-of-a-kind mix of experience, engineering excellence and wide-eyed wonder that’s been in the company’s DNA since day one. For those who dream big and push boundaries on the ground and in the stars to change the world for the better, we’ll take you there. For more information, visit mda.space

###

Press Contacts

Saft
Belén d’Alexis, External Communications Manager Tel.: +33 1 58 63 16 60, email: belen.dalexis@saft.com

Definition
Agency Andrew Bartlett, Tel.: +44 207 580 6502, email: andrew.bartlett@thisisdefinition.com