OHB secures €1 billion contract for EU IRIS² satellite project

The Bremen-based aerospace company OHB has secured a major contract worth nearly one billion euros to develop and build 18 satellite platforms for the European Union’s IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite) program. The contract was awarded by satellite operator SES, which is responsible for this portion of the IRIS² constellation within the SpaceRISE consortium.

The satellites will operate in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and are expected to weigh approximately 2.6 tons each, with a maximum power output of about 15 kilowatts. This project is part of a larger EU initiative to establish a highly secure and sovereign satellite communication infrastructure, consisting of a total of 348 satellites in low and medium Earth orbits.

OHB intends to carry out the production at its facility in Bremen, Germany, which will lead to further growth and job creation at the site. The first satellite launches are scheduled for 2029, with services expected to become available starting in 2030. OHB will utilize its previous experience from flagship programs such as Galileo and Copernicus to support this new infrastructure.