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🇦🇹 Austria /Technology

OHB wins nearly €1 billion contract to help build EU satellite network

From Die Presse · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency New plan
  • OHB secured a contract worth nearly 1 billion euros to build 18 satellite platforms for the EU’s IRIS communications network.
  • The roughly 2.6-ton satellites will operate in medium Earth orbit as part of a planned 348-satellite system.
  • The first satellites are scheduled to launch in 2029, with initial services expected from 2030.

OHB has secured a contract worth nearly 1 billion euros to build 18 satellite platforms for the European Union’s planned IRIS network. The company said the contract came from satellite operator SES, part of the consortium appointed by the European Commission to operate the system.

The satellites will weigh about 2.6 tons each and orbit at medium Earth altitude. They will form a central part of a network planned to include 348 satellites across several orbits.

OHB chief executive Marco Fuchs described the contract as a step toward greater European independence. He said an independent communications infrastructure was essential in a digitized world.

IRIS is the EU’s third major space project after the Galileo navigation system and the Copernicus Earth observation program. It is designed to provide secure, resilient communications for governments and businesses, while also helping close mobile coverage gaps in remote areas. The first spacecraft are due to launch in 2029, and initial services are expected to begin in 2030.

An independent communications infrastructure is indispensable in a digitized world.

— Marco FuchsThe OHB chief executive described the company’s satellite contract as a step toward European independence.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Presse in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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