Thales Alenia Space to provide payloads for 330 IRIS² satellites

Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales and Leonardo, has signed a Letter of Agreement with Eutelsat to provide payloads for 330 satellites within the IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite) constellation. This specific order represents a tranche of approximately 500 million euros from a global IRIS² contract that is expected to exceed 3 billion euros for the company.

The IRIS² project is a strategic initiative designed to bolster European space sovereignty and autonomy. The full infrastructure will consist of 348 satellites: 330 in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)—including 66 Ka-band military satellites and 264 dual-use Ku/Ka-band satellites—and 18 in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO).

Scheduled for launch starting in 2029, the constellation will provide secure government communications for civil protection, emergency management, defense, and security, alongside commercial B2B services. The system will utilize advanced technologies such as inter-satellite optical links, multi-orbit approaches, and native 5G capabilities to ensure high-level cybersecurity and precise signal targeting.