Telesat adds Mil-Ka to Lightspeed for defence demand

Executive Summary

• Telesat Corp. is adding 500 MHz of military Ka-band (Mil-Ka) spectrum to its Telesat Lightspeed constellation to meet growing global demand from defence and sovereignty users.
• The addition of Mil-Ka replaces an equivalent amount of commercial Ka-band spectrum on the network's user link, a change designed to have only a modest impact on program costs and no adverse impact on the project schedule.
• This move enhances Telesat's ability to provide interoperable, secure, and resilient satellite communications for allied governments, leveraging the low-latency advantages of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) networks over traditional geostationary systems.

Key Details

• Spectrum Addition: 500 MHz of military Ka-band (Mil-Ka) spectrum is being added to the initial 156 satellites in the Telesat Lightspeed constellation.
• Technical Implementation: Mil-Ka is immediately adjacent to the commercial Ka-band spectrum. The change replaces the same amount of commercial Ka-band on the user link, while the gateway link remains unaffected.
• Cost and Schedule Impact: The modification is expected to have only a modest impact on program cost and will not adversely impact the launch schedule.
• Strategic Rationale: The update addresses fast-growing global requirements of allied defence users, responding to evolving operational needs, technological advances, and increased defence spending by NATO and other allied governments.
• Performance Benefits: The integration aims to provide meaningfully superior performance characteristics compared to historical Mil-Ka platforms, offering persistent global coverage (including the Arctic), interoperability across national networks, and assured communications under joint operational command.
• Launch Schedule: The first two Telesat Lightspeed production satellites are scheduled for launch in December 2026, followed by a high-cadence launch schedule throughout 2027.

Notable Quotes

• "We're seeing very significant global demand for a Mil-Ka LEO satellite capability as governments respond to recent geopolitical developments and recognize the clear operational advantages offered by advanced LEO constellations," stated Dan Goldberg, Telesat's president and chief executive officer.
• "The addition of Mil-Ka to Telesat Lightspeed will result in a substantial increase to the current global supply of Mil-Ka capacity... This is an important development and one that underscores Telesat's decades-long commitment to support the mission critical requirements of allied defence users."