Sept 10 : Belgium's Aerospacelab said on Thursday it had won a €2.4 billion ($2.8 billion) contract to build 264 satellites for the European Union's IRIS² network, which is due to offer secure communications for governments, security agencies and commercial users by 2030.Aerospacelab said it would be responsible for building 76 per cent of the planned 348 satellites, the single largest disclosed manufacturing allocation for IRIS², offering a clearer picture of how the work is being divided.At the contract value, the award translates to roughly €9.1 million per satellite.The company said it would design, manufacture and deliver fully integrated low-Earth-orbit satellites through the Eutelsat-led SpaceRISE consortium, which was chosen to develop and operate the network under a concession deal with the EU.
The allocation to the 8-year-old company also offers a look into the evolving space supply chain in Europe.Last month, the European Space Agency selected Germany's Isar Aerospace to provide launch services for parts of its institutional missions, in a sign that newer entrants are taking a growing role alongside Europe's established contractors such as Airbus, Thales Alenia Space and OHB.($1 = 0.8603 euros)
