Next-Gen MEO, LEO Coming from SES, Eutelsat with SpaceRISE Deal

A new generation of satellite connectivity is planned, with the European Union mostly footing the bill. SES, Eutelsat, and Hispasat joined to form the SpaceRISE consortium, contracted to build the multi-orbit IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite) constellation on behalf of the government. The 290 satellite constellation is expected to enter service in 2030.

Under the deal the three operators will each deliver new satellites in a different orbital plane. Combined, the network is expected to provide reliable, secure, and cost-effective communication solutions for governmental institutions, commercial customers, and European citizens.

---

---

More MEO from SES

SES’s MEO constellation continues to grow of its own accord, including a successful launch of two new mPOWER satellites this week and further deployments planned through 2027. Under the SpaceRISE deal, however, a new generation of MEO will be added to the mix.

The next constellation consists of 18 new satellites and expands the coverage footprint to include polar regions.

IRIS² enables the profitable expansion of our differentiated MEO architecture into the next decade, while giving us access to LEO with owners’ economics, to keep pace with the rapidly growing customer demand in our target segments where we have a strong right to win, record of delivering value for our customers, and history of growth execution. – Adel Al-Saleh, Chief Executive Officer of SES

SES will front approximately 50% of the CapEx for the constellation – to the tune of €1.8 billion – while retaining commercial rights to 90% of the capacity on the satellites. The company will also secure access to a portion of the LEO capacity planned for launch. Furthermore, SES has the option to include third party hosted payloads on its satellites to further improve the financial value of the constellation.

---

---

LEO from Eutelsat OneWeb

Eutelsat will deliver LEO capacity for the consortium, building on its OneWeb experience. The plan calls for a new 264-satellite constellation to be placed in orbit, offering approximately 2Tbps of total capacity. Eutelsat will hold priority access to 75% of that bandwidth in exchange for its €2 billion investment in the program.

IRIS² is a landmark initiative that embodies Europe’s commitment to digital sovereignty, resilience, and strategic autonomy. Eutelsat is uniquely positioned to bring unparalleled expertise to this mission, leveraging our unique LEO expertise and spectrum priority. – Eva Berneke, Chief Executive Officer of Eutelsat

Airbus secured the contract to build the first 100 LEO satellites in the new constellation, with delivery to Eutelsat expected by the end of 2026. The deal extends Airbus’s role as primary supplier for the LEO satellite program.

Unlike the first generation of OneWeb satellites, however, these will not be built in the jointly owned facility in Florida. Nor will they be built in the UK, a dream of that government when it invested to help bring OneWeb out of bankruptcy. These 100 satellites will, instead, be produced at an Airbus facility in Toulouse.

---

Both SES and Eutelsat forecast revenues in excess of €6 billion over the 12-year term of the program for their share of the satellite capacity. With governments providing the lion’s share of funding for the program, that’s not a bad deal, assuming the program hits its targets.

And each will have access to a significant chunk of bandwidth to sell to private customers “at an attractive cost.” That should bode well for the inflight connectivity market, as demand continues to grow. Of course, the consortium targets EIS in 2030, which is a very long time to wait for those expanded services, especially as competitive parties continue their development efforts.