Airborne Aerospace B.V. announced it has been selected by Airbus Netherlands B.V. to supply panel and yoke substrates for the Sparkwing solar arrays to be provided to MDA Space AURORA, the software-defined satellite product line enabling constellations to extend communication networks worldwide.
Under the MDA AURORA contract, Airbus will supply the Sparkwing solar arrays wings, consisting of two wings with five panels each, providing a photovoltaic area of well over 30 sqm. Airborne will provide 700 high-precision and ultra-stiff composite substrate panels, combining advanced aerospace expertise with highly automated composite production technologies.
Sandor Woldendorp, Director Airborne Aerospace, said: "This agreement highlights the strength of Airborne's expertise, bringing together our deep knowledge in aerospace and substrate panels with cutting-edge automated production. It's a privilege to work with a partner like Airbus who shares our vision, and we are ready to meet the challenge of delivering high-performance solar array panels at scale."
The Airborne production will deliver over 700 solar array substrate panels, ramping up to a consistent output of 40 panels per month for the MDA Aurora satellite constellations, while still leaving room for more capacity. This is enabled by automated production processes, incorporating the Automated Tape Layer (ATL) robot for the composite laminates.
"Our Sparkwing solar arrays are designed for low-cost series production, ideally suited for constellations. Bringing Airborne on board as one of the key partners for the panel and yoke substrates marks an important next step for preparing the production for MDA's assignment," says Tom Houwen, Head of Procurement at Airbus in the Netherlands.
Source: Airborne.com
