Airbus 66 IRIS² Satellites: Airbus Defence and Space is taking a major role in Europe’s new IRIS² satellite programme. The company has signed an initial contract to design and build the first satellite layer of the system. This first layer will have at least 66 satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), with work aimed at supporting the first launches planned from 2029.
The deal is part of the wider IRIS² programme being developed by the European Union with the SpaceRISE consortium. The EU signed the main implementation agreement with SpaceRISE in August 2026. That agreement increased the planned IRIS² network to 348 satellites, including 330 in LEO and 18 in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO).
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Airbus and Thales to Start Work on the First Satellite Layer
Eutelsat is leading the LEO part of the IRIS² programme through SpaceRISE. The consortium also includes SES and Hispasat. Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space are among the main European companies involved in building the satellite system.
Under the new arrangement, Airbus will make the satellite platforms and handle the integration of payloads supplied by Thales Alenia Space. The work is expected to use Airbus’s large production facility in Toulouse, France.
Airbus also plans to increase its industrial capacity so it can keep up with the production schedule. The company already has experience in making large numbers of LEO satellites through its work on the OneWeb network for Eutelsat. Airbus is currently building another batch of 100 OneWeb satellites in Toulouse, with deliveries planned from the end of 2026.
The new IRIS² layer is especially important for Europe’s security needs. It will provide military Ka-band connectivity to European users and add more secure satellite capacity for defence, security and emergency services.
What is Europe’s IRIS² Satellite Network?
IRIS² stands for Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite. It is the European Union’s flagship secure connectivity programme and is being built to give Europe a more independent satellite communications system.
The network will support governments, defence forces, emergency services and other authorised users. It’s also expected to help businesses and improve connectivity in remote areas where normal ground-based networks may not work well.
The expanded IRIS² system is designed to use both LEO and MEO satellites. The LEO part will help provide lower-latency connectivity, while the wider multi-orbit design is meant to make the network more resilient.
The EU says the extra 66-satellite layer will increase secure government communications capacity by 60% within the EU and by 54% globally. First launches are planned for 2029, with operational connectivity services expected to start rolling out from that year.
Eutelsat says the LEO system will include 264 dual Mil-Ka/Ku-band satellites along with 66 Mil-Ka-band satellites. The architecture will also use technologies such as 5G non-terrestrial networking, beamforming antennas and optical links between satellites.
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Airbus Says IRIS² Will Strengthen Europe’s Space Independence
The Airbus contract comes as Europe is trying to build more control over its own critical space and communications infrastructure.
“It is a privilege to contribute to this strategic programme, which will strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty and strategic autonomy,” said Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space. “Leveraging our proven, industry-leading experience in the production of large-scale LEO constellations, we are fully committed to delivering this critical first layer.”
Airbus’s Toulouse site is already being used for OneWeb satellite production. Using the same industrial base for IRIS² could help the company move faster as the European programme enters its full manufacturing phase.
The broader IRIS² project is backed by the European Commission, ESA, EUSPA, SpaceRISE and several European manufacturers including Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space, OHB and Aerospacelab. The programme has now moved from planning toward actual satellite manufacturing, launch preparation and ground infrastructure work.
The contract was announced around the International Space Summit in Paris on September 9 and 10, 2026. Airbus hasn’t disclosed the value of the initial agreement. The next major focus will be turning the plans into satellites that can be launched from 2029 and provide Europe with a more secure and sovereign space-based communications network.
