Eutelsat Awards €5.4B IRIS² Satellite Contracts

Aerospacelab, Airbus Defence and Space, and Thales Alenia Space have secured major contracts to build the European Union’s IRIS² secure communications constellation through the Eutelsat-led SpaceRISE consortium. Aerospacelab will design, manufacture, and deliver 264 fully integrated low-Earth-orbit satellites under a €2.4 billion contract, while Airbus will build and integrate the remaining 66 LEO platforms in the constellation’s initial layer, scheduled for delivery in 2029. Thales Alenia Space will provide governmental communications payloads for all 330 LEO satellites under an agreement whose total value is expected to exceed €3 billion. Together with an earlier OHB contract for 18 medium-Earth-orbit satellites, the awards cover all 348 planned spacecraft and are expected to total more than €5.4 billion. IRIS² is intended to provide resilient, secure connectivity for European governments, security agencies, military users, and commercial operators, with the broader constellation expected to begin launches around 2030.