EU Awards Belgian Startup Aerospacelab Major Contract for Iris2 Satellite Constellation
The European Union (EU) is advancing its Iris2 satellite constellation project, a competitor to U.S. systems like Starlink. In a surprising move, the EU Commission awarded a significant contract to Belgian startup Aerospacelab to build the majority of the satellites for the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) segment. Aerospacelab is set to contribute 264 of the total 368 LEO satellites, with the contract valued at a minimum of 1.8 billion Euros. This decision signals the EU's commitment to fostering new players in the space industry and enhancing its digital sovereignty. Aerospacelab is currently constructing a large satellite factory in Charleroi, aiming to produce up to 500 satellites annually starting in 2027. While established players like Airbus Defence and Space, which builds satellites for the OneWeb constellation, were not chosen for the main LEO contract, Airbus will still build 66 satellites for military communication within Iris2. Unlike Starlink, Iris2 will also include 18 satellites in Medium Earth Orbit (... 
