European satellite operator SES has awarded OHB a contract worth almost €1 billion to develop and build satellite platforms for the medium Earth orbit component of Europe’s €15.6 billion IRIS2 secure communications constellation.
OHB announced that it had been awarded the contract on 31 August, describing it as the first major industrial order awarded since the IRIS² programme formally entered its implementation phase earlier this month. Under the contract, the company will develop and manufacture all 18 satellite platforms for the constellation’s MEO segment. Each satellite is expected to have a launch mass of approximately 2.6 tonnes.
“The contract represents an important step towards realising the next generation of secure and resilient communications infrastructure for Europe,” explained SES chief product and innovation officer Xavier Bertran.
SES, along with Eutelsat and Hispasat make up the SpaceRISE consortium leading the development of the European Union’s IRIS2 secure communications system. Following a first major programme review, known as Rendez-vous 1, the European Commission and SpaceRISE signed an implementation agreement on 6 August 2026 that moved the IRIS2 programme into its full-scale deployment phase.
Within the consortium, SES is leading the development of the Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) segment, comprising 18 satellites. Eutelsat is leading the LEO segment, which includes 330 satellites. Hispasat is responsible for the government ground segment, including its antenna infrastructure, control systems, and ground network connectivity.
With its announcement that the Rendez-vous 1 review had been completed, SES stated that it expects to invest up to €1.35 billion in the MEO segment.
The first IRIS2 satellites are expected to be launched in 2029, with initial services scheduled to come online in 2030. Neither OHB nor SES has stated when the first IRIS2 MEO satellites are expected to be launched or whether any will be among the first of the constellation’s satellites launched in 2029.
