Airbus Defence and Space has signed an initial contract with Eutelsat for the design and production of the first layer of satellites for Europe’s IRIS² sovereign satellite constellation. The agreement enables Airbus and Thales Alenia Space to begin work on the first layer of the constellation’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) segment.
IRIS², or Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite, is the European Union’s satellite connectivity programme aimed at strengthening secure and resilient communications for governments and supporting commercial services for European economies and societies. Eutelsat is responsible within the SpaceRISE consortium for the LEO segment of the programme. Under the industrial arrangement, Airbus and Thales Alenia Space will deliver the first layer of the LEO segment, which will comprise at least 66 satellites. The satellites are scheduled for delivery in 2029.
The first LEO layer will form the sovereign component of the IRIS² programme and will provide military Ka-band connectivity to future European users. The system is intended to support secure communications for European governments and contribute to the EU’s objectives of improving digital resilience and strategic autonomy.
Airbus will manufacture the satellite platforms and integrate the satellites with payloads supplied by Thales Alenia Space. The company will use its serial production facility in Toulouse, France, to support the programme. The Toulouse facility has been brought back into European operations and is already being used to produce a new batch of OneWeb satellites for Eutelsat. Airbus said its experience in producing LEO satellite constellations will support the planned production schedule for the IRIS² programme.
Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space, said, “It is a privilege to contribute to this strategic programme, which will strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty and strategic autonomy. Leveraging our proven, industry-leading experience in the production of large-scale LEO constellations, we are fully committed to delivering this critical first layer.”
The signing of the initial contract took place during the International Space Summit in Paris on September 9 and 10. The agreement marks the start of satellite development activities for the first LEO layer of IRIS². The programme is being developed as a multi-orbit satellite constellation designed to provide resilient and secure connectivity to European governments and commercial users.
It is also intended to support the EU’s partnership policy by extending access to its connectivity infrastructure to users outside Europe. The first layer will combine Airbus’ satellite manufacturing and integration capabilities with payload technology from Thales Alenia Space. The arrangement is intended to establish the industrial capacity required
