Aerospacelab has secured a contract worth €2.4 billion to manufacture 264 satellite platforms for the European Union’s IRIS² secure connectivity programme. This deal represents the largest order in the eight-year history of the Belgian company, which was founded in 2018 by Benoit Deper.
The IRIS² constellation, managed by the SpaceRISE consortium, aims for operational deployment by 2029 and full service by 2030. Following a review in August 2026, the total project size increased to 348 satellites with investments exceeding €15.6 billion. Airbus will produce the remaining 66 satellites, while Thales Alenia Space handles communications payloads.
To fulfill the order, Aerospacelab is scaling production at its Megafactory in Charleroi, Belgium. The company has previously raised over $124 million across seven funding rounds, reaching a valuation of $566 million in May 2025 during its Series C round.
The IRIS² network is designed to provide European governments and businesses with a secure, sovereign communications infrastructure. The project competes directly with existing global satellite constellations, marking a shift in European industrial strategy by involving newer manufacturers alongside established aerospace firms.
