The German OHB signed a contract of almost one billion euros with the European operator Société Européenne des Satellites (SES) to develop 18 satellites that will integrate IRIS 2, the European Union's future satellite constellation designed to guarantee Member States a secure communication network, including for defense matters, as an alternative to the American Starlink. This is the first major contract awarded since the official start of IRIS 2 implementation and is part of the program's medium Earth orbit satellite segment.
SES leads the medium Earth orbit segment in the SpaceRISE consortium, which also includes Eutelsat and Hispasat. The IRIS 2 constellation, estimated at around ten billion euros, will be composed of 348 satellites, of which 330 in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit, after the European Commission agreed at the beginning of August to the entry of 66 new satellites into the project. The satellites to be developed by OHB will have a maximum power of about 15 kilowatts and a launch mass of approximately 2.6 tons each.
The first launches are planned for 2029, with initial services available in 2030. Once operational, the constellation will provide sovereign, secure and highly reliable connectivity to European governments, defense and security forces, and emergency services across Europe. Marco Fuchs, CEO of OHB SE, stated that IRIS 2 represents another significant step towards European independence and that the company is pleased to have been chosen for the development of these satellite platforms.
Among the industrial partners of the project are Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space, OHB and Aerospacelab, along with various companies throughout the European supply chain. In Portugal, Meo and Thales are preparing a proposal to, as a consortium, be satellite gateway suppliers to the SpaceRISE consortium from the teleport facilities of Alfouvar and Santa Maria, in the Azores.
