• OHB signed a contract worth nearly €1bn with SES to develop and produce all 18 MEO satellite platforms planned for IRIS²
  • The platforms are part of a 348-satellite system whose first launches are planned for 2029, with initial services targeted for 2030

The fact

OHB said on 31 August that it had signed a contract worth nearly €1bn with SES to develop and produce 18 medium-Earth-orbit satellite platforms for the European Union's IRIS² secure-connectivity programme. SES is responsible for the MEO segment within SpaceRISE, the consortium delivering the system alongside Eutelsat and Hispasat. OHB described the award as the first major contract under the IRIS² concession since the programme entered its implementation phase in August.

The current IRIS² plan covers 348 satellites, including 330 in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit. OHB said each of its MEO platforms will have a maximum power output of about 15kW and a launch mass of roughly 2.6 tonnes. First launches are planned for 2029 and initial services for 2030. The OHB contract covers the satellite platforms; payload integration, launch, ground infrastructure and operations still have to come together before the system can enter service.

The assessment

SES now has a manufacturer for the full set of 18 MEO platforms. OHB can move from programme participation into design, component procurement, production and qualification against a defined fleet, while SES has a supplier whose deliveries can be matched to the wider MEO schedule.

The harder coordination now sits around those spacecraft. The platforms have to be completed in time for payload integration and qualification, followed by launch and connection to the ground and user-terminal infrastructure being developed elsewhere in IRIS². A platform delivered on time does not by itself put a communications service into operation.

For BTW readers, part of IRIS² can now be followed through factory milestones rather than programme announcements alone. Design reviews, first hardware, qualification and launch bookings will show whether the 18-satellite MEO build is staying aligned with the planned 2029 launch programme.

What to watch

Watch for preliminary and critical design reviews, long-lead component orders, the first platform hardware and qualification testing. Launch-provider contracts and confirmed launch windows will then show whether production is lining up with the 2029 schedule. Progress on payload and ground-system integration will matter alongside OHB's factory milestones.