OHB will build 18 satellites for SES, the operator leading the SpaceRISE consortium responsible for delivering the European system. The contract represents the first major industrial order for the IRIS² programme.
The European project is designed to provide sovereign and resilient satellite communications infrastructure, reducing the region's dependence on external systems.
The strategic importance of such infrastructure has increased sharply since Russia's invasion of Ukraine demonstrated the role satellite communications can play in modern warfare. Systems such as Starlink have shown how commercial satellite networks can become critical components of military and civilian communications.
The EU has subsequently expanded the planned IRIS² constellation, with additional satellites expected to strengthen its coverage and resilience.
For Europe, the programme represents more than an infrastructure investment. It is part of a wider effort to develop greater technological autonomy in areas considered strategically important, including telecommunications, navigation, cybersecurity and defence.
OHB's contract also illustrates the industrial opportunity created by that shift. European governments are increasingly using public procurement to support domestic aerospace capabilities while attempting to develop an independent technological base.
However, Europe still faces limitations. OHB has acknowledged that the continent remains dependent on external components and lacks sufficient launch capacity, highlighting the structural challenges involved in building a genuinely sovereign space ecosystem.
The first IRIS² satellites are expected to launch in 2029, with services beginning in 2030.
Aldrenor Assessment: Europe's space strategy is increasingly becoming a matter of sovereignty rather than commercial ambition alone. IRIS² could strengthen the continent's strategic resilience, but achieving genuine autonomy will require investment across the entire space supply chain.
