Canadian space companies Telesat and MDA Space said on Monday they have signed separate memorandums of understanding with South Korea’s Hanwha Systems to explore cooperation related to Korea’s planned sovereign low-Earth orbit defense constellation, known as K-LEO.
The announcements follow a collaboration agreement reached in November 2025 between the Canadian government and South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), which focuses on next-generation commercial space systems. K-LEO is a South Korean initiative aimed at strengthening sovereign defense capabilities and secure communications for national security operations.
Telesat said on Jan. 26 that it plans to work with Hanwha Systems on the development of defense user terminals compatible with both the K-LEO constellation and Telesat’s Lightspeed low-Earth orbit network. The companies also agreed to cooperate on Canada’s Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP).
Under the CPSP, Hanwha Ocean has been shortlisted alongside Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems to supply up to 12 submarines to the Royal Canadian Navy. Hanwha Systems said it intends to include multi-year Telesat Lightspeed services as part of its bid and will also explore the use of Lightspeed services across other platforms within its weapons systems portfolio.
“This partnership enhances our ability to deliver secure, sovereign LEO communications for defense and maritime operations,” said Jae-il Son, president and chief executive of Hanwha Systems, adding that the company aims to expand cooperation with international partners in defense and space technologies.
Separately, Hanwha Systems and MDA Space said they will collaborate on the development of the K-LEO constellation and assess how MDA’s Aurora software-defined satellite architecture could support Hanwha’s requirements.
“This collaboration highlights the global confidence in MDA Aurora’s secure dual-use software-defined satellite technology,” said Mike Greenly, adding that the companies aim to support the advancement of South Korea’s defense communications infrastructure.
