About Orbital Research
Orbital Research is a Burnaby satellite-communications company that designs and manufactures microwave frequency converters and related RF components for ground, airborne and space systems.
Operating context
Orbital Research in Burnaby develops RF conversion and receiver subsystems for ground and small-satellite communications. Its Ka-band UDC combines uplink and downlink conversion with software-configurable frequency plans; radiation-hardened and COTS configurations have different qualification packages, with radiation and thermal-vacuum testing supplied when specified. The company reports stable RF performance after TRIUMF proton testing of Ka-band prototypes and continued work toward flight demonstrations. CSA’s separate X-band contribution specifies a TRL4 benchtop objective, which should not be generalized into flight qualification for the portfolio. The 26 GHz product is a receiver front end, distinct from the bidirectional UDC. The practical entry point is an RF subsystem integration discussion covering band plan, linearity, controller interface and the exact environmental evidence required by the mission.