Aerospacelab has won a €2.4-billion contract to build and deliver 264 low-Earth-orbit satellite platforms for the EU’s Iris² constellation, the Belgian space company announced on Thursday.
Charleroi-based Aerospacelab specialises in designing, manufacturing and operating satellites.
It has been selected to play a central role in Iris², a European satellite network intended to provide secure, high-speed communications for governments and commercial users, including during emergencies.
First satellites due in 2029
On Friday, the European Commission signed a framework agreement with the SpaceRISE consortium to deploy Iris², moving the programme from the planning stage into implementation.
The first satellites are due to be launched from 2029.
Aerospacelab will work on the project alongside French company Thales Alenia Space, which also has a factory in Charleroi.
The German aerospace group, OHB, whose subsidiary Antwerp Space is based in Hoboken, is also involved.
“This is the goal we have been working towards for years,” said Aerospacelab chief executive Benoît Deper.
'A contract of international significance'
While the contract is described as substantial, no further financial details were disclosed beyond the announced €2.4 billion value.
Frank Monteny, director-general for Research and Space at the Belgian Science Policy Office (Belspo), said it was the first time a Belgian company had been awarded a contract of this scale in the sector.
“Our country has enormous potential in the space industry, where all companies are doing exceptional work,” Monteny said. “Aerospacelab has once again demonstrated this by securing a contract of international significance.”
Science Policy Minister Vanessa Matz said the deal showed how far Belgium’s space industry had progressed and how highly it was regarded abroad.
“The fact that a Belgian company has won such an important contract shows how much the Belgian space sector has grown,” she said. “This is the result of the hard work of Aerospacelab’s teams and a success of which all Belgians can be proud.”
Additional funding will be needed
Iris², short for Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite, is designed to strengthen Europe’s defence, security and communications capabilities. The constellation is set to include 368 satellites in total: 20 in very low Earth orbit at about 750km altitude, 330 in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit.
The programme’s budget was initially estimated at €11 billion. Additional investment will now be needed following the expansion of the constellation, with funding expected to come from a combination of the EU budget and extra contributions from individual Member States.
Iris² is intended for government and business communications and is seen as a European counterpart to Copernicus for Earth observation and Galileo for satellite navigation.
The European Space Agency will oversee the launch of the satellites into space.
