Digital sovereignty, even in space: The European Union (EU) is advancing the construction of its Iris2 satellite constellation. The EU Commission caused a surprise with the contract award: instead of one of the established manufacturers, a newcomer received a major order.
The EU Commission has commissioned Aerospacelab to build the majority of the satellites for Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The Belgian start-up will contribute 264 of the total 368 satellites in the constellation, reports the business newspaper Handelsblatt, citing several sources with insider knowledge. The order value is said to be at least 1.8 billion euros.
Satellite factory in Charleroi
The company is building a large satellite factory in Charleroi. It is scheduled to be completed in the coming months. Aerospacelab plans to produce up to 500 satellites a year there from 2027 onwards.
This is an important signal for the industry: “New players can help shape Europe's sovereignty in space -- on equal footing with established space companies,” said Benoît Deper, founder and CEO of Aerospacelab, in a statement that did not contain any details on the size of the contract.
