Aerospacelab announced on 10 September 2026 that it has been named a key prime contractor for the low Earth orbit segment of the European Union’s IRIS² secure connectivity programme, under a contract valued at €2.4 billion. The Belgian space company will design, build and deliver 264 fully integrated satellite platforms, with deployment targeted from 2029 and full service by 2030. The award is the largest in the company’s eight-year history and a major milestone for European strategic autonomy.
A Landmark Contract for a Belgian Scale-Up
The selection followed a competitive dialogue with Eutelsat, which leads the low Earth orbit segment within the SpaceRISE consortium. Aerospacelab’s allocation of 264 satellites represents the largest disclosed manufacturing mandate in the programme. The remaining 66 low Earth orbit satellites will be built by Airbus, while Thales Alenia Space will supply communications payloads for all 330 low Earth orbit spacecraft under an order worth roughly €500 million.
Programme Expansion and Strategic Stakes
IRIS² has expanded considerably since its original concession, which was signed in December 2024 for around 290 satellites at a project cost of 10.6 billion euros. Following an August 2026 review, the European Commission and SpaceRISE increased the constellation to 348 satellites and raised total planned investment beyond €15.6 billion. The expansion reinforces the programme’s role as a flagship initiative alongside Galileo, Copernicus and Ariane in the European Union’s broader space strategy.
From Startup to Industrial Satellite Manufacturer
Benoît Deper founded Aerospacelab in 2018 after positions at NASA Ames Research Center, the European Space Agency and Swiss Space Systems. The company has raised more than 124 million dollars across seven funding rounds, reaching a valuation of 566 million dollars in May 2025. That capital has supported the development of its Megafactory in Charleroi, Belgium, an industrial production site designed for high-volume satellite manufacturing at a pace that traditional bespoke producers were never built to sustain.
Europe’s Sovereign Answer to Starlink
IRIS² is designed to give European governments, defence and security services, businesses and citizens a communications network that the European Union controls end to end. By combining low Earth orbit and medium Earth orbit satellites, the system aims to reduce dependence on non-European infrastructure. This places Europe in direct competition with SpaceX’s Starlink while complementing existing assets such as Eutelsat’s OneWeb network.
A Test of Execution at Scale
The award demonstrates that European institutions are willing to entrust a meaningful share of a flagship sovereignty programme to a company that did not exist a decade ago. Aerospacelab must now bring its Megafactory to full production capacity and deliver 264 satellites according to a demanding European Commission timeline. Board chairman Mathieu Costes called the deal a landmark award that endorses the company’s ability to deliver mission-critical space infrastructure at scale and on time.
Aerospacelab’s selection signals a notable shift in Europe’s space industrial policy, opening prime contractor roles to new-generation manufacturers. The success of IRIS² will depend on reliable production, strict schedule management and close coordination across the SpaceRISE consortium. If execution matches ambition, the programme will strengthen Europe’s sovereign connectivity position and validate Aerospacelab’s emergence as a strategic industrial partner.