EUROPEAN UNION —OHB has secured a contract valued at nearly €1 billion from SES to develop and manufacture 18 medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite platforms for the European Union’s IRIS² Secure Connectivity Programme. The agreement represents the first major contract awarded under the IRIS² concession and follows the start of the programme’s implementation phase on August 6, 2026.
SES is leading delivery of the MEO component through the SpaceRISE consortium, which also comprises EUTELSAT and HISPASAT. OHB, a European space and technology group focused on satellite systems and space infrastructure, will supply the 18 platforms that are planned to become a central component of the programme’s MEO architecture.
The contracted satellites are designed for a maximum power output of approximately 15 kilowatts and a launch mass of about 2.6 tonnes each. Their development will support the broader IRIS² architecture, which is planned to combine 348 satellites operating across low Earth orbit (LEO) and MEO with a dedicated ground segment designed to provide secure communications infrastructure.
IRIS² is intended to provide secure and resilient satellite connectivity to public and private users across Europe, with applications linked to critical communications and connectivity services. The programme is being implemented as a public-private partnership led by the European Commission, with technical support from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA).
For Europe’s space and telecommunications industries, the OHB award creates a substantial manufacturing programme tied to a strategic satellite infrastructure initiative. It also establishes a significant workstream for the MEO segment within the wider SpaceRISE deployment. The first IRIS² satellites are targeted for launch in 2029, while initial services are expected to become available in 2030.
