08:28 AM EDT, 08/01/2025 (MT Newswires) -- MDA Space ( MDALF ) said Friday that it secured an initial US$1.3 billion contract to produce satellites for Nasdaq-listed EchoStar's new non-terrestrial network low Earth orbit direct-to-device (D2D) satellite constellation.

The contract includes the design, manufacturing and testing of more than 100 MDA AURORA D2D satellites.

The value of the contract would increase to US$2.5 billion if options are exercised for a full initial configuration of a network of over 200 satellites.

The satellite constellation will allow EchoStar to provide messaging, voice, broadband data, and video services upon launch to all phones configured to the newly created NTN and 3GPP standards, MDA Space ( MDALF ) said.

"This contract also demonstrates our continued market momentum as we strategically position MDA Space ( MDALF ) to be the prime contractor of choice for satellite operators offering direct-to-device and broadband connectivity," said Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space ( MDALF ).

MDA Space's ( MDALF ) share price fell 2.5% on Thursday to $38.80 on the TSX.