Aerospacelab Wins €2.4 Billion Deal to Build Majority of IRIS² Satellites
The award covers 76% of the planned constellation and gives Europe a sovereign alternative for secure communications, Reuters said.
- On Thursday, Thales Alenia Space and Belgium's Aerospacelab secured major contracts for the European Union's IRIS² satellite constellation. Thales Alenia Space will supply payloads for 330 satellites, while Aerospacelab won a €2.4 billion deal to build 264.
- Designed to provide a sovereign alternative to non-European systems like SpaceX, the IRIS² network aims to deliver secure communications for European governments and security agencies by 2030. The constellation will comprise 348 satellites total.
- Thales Alenia Space's agreement represents a tranche worth around €500 million under a broader contract expected to exceed €3 billion. Aerospacelab will be responsible for building 76% of the planned 348 satellites for the secure space-based 5G network.
- This allocation to Aerospacelab illustrates the evolving European space supply chain, where newer entrants take a growing role alongside established contractors such as Thales Alenia Space, Airbus, and OHB. The first 66 satellites will launch starting in 2029.
- However, the rollout faces questions as Germany pursues a separate national military satellite network, prompting concerns about fragmentation of European efforts and rising costs. Germany's Isar Aerospace was separately selected for institutional launch services.
26 Articles
26 Articles
The industry group will provide government payloads for 330 secure telecommunications satellites of the future European programme The supplier of space technologies
Satellite builder Aerospacelab from Charleroi has secured a contract worth 2.4 billion euros. It will build 264 satellites for the European Iris² network, accounting for three-quarters of all satellites in the network. This is intended to become a European alternative to Elon Musk's Starlink.
Aerospacelab wins €2.4 billion deal to build majority of IRIS² satellites
The Walloon company has won a contract of 2.4 billion euros. The Walloon group Aerospacelab has just won an important contract. The most...
Key takeaways Aerospacelab, a satellite manufacturer based in Charleroi, has secured a historic agreement worth 2.4 billion euros, reports VRT NWS. Under this agreement, the company will produce 264 satellites, representing 75 percent of the total hardware required for the Iris² network. This project aims to […]
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