Belgian startup Aerospacelab has won the largest manufacturing share of the European Union’s Iris2 satellite constellation, with responsibility for up to 264 of the programme’s 348 satellites. The reported contract value is at least 1.8 billion euros, placing the company at the centre of one of Europe’s biggest space-industrial awards.
The work split leaves Airbus to build 66 military communications satellites, while German satellite maker OHB is set to produce 18 medium-Earth-orbit spacecraft. Iris2, the EU-backed secure communications network, has moved from planning into implementation after the latest agreement expanded the constellation from an earlier 290-satellite concept to 348 craft.
First launches are targeted for 2029, with public-sector users in the EU expected to begin using the system around 2030. The programme is designed to provide secure satellite communications for government and defence customers, with broader civil use to follow later.