SpaceNews.com
• Jeff Foust
Eutelsat has awarded Aerospacelab, Thales Alenia Space and Airbus contracts covering all 330 satellites in IRIS2’s LEO component, while authorizing Airbus to begin industrial work on 229 additional OneWeb satellites. The company is also expanding European satellite capabilities through payload and platform partnerships.
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A €3 billion raise by Mistral, Isar Aerospace’s first orbital success, Eutelsat’s expanded LEO data-downlink partnership with Skynopy and Aerospacelab’s €2.4 billion IRIS² satellite contract underscore Europe’s push to control critical AI, launch, connectivity and secure-communications infrastructure.
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Eutelsat has awarded Aerospacelab, Thales Alenia Space and Airbus contracts covering all 330 satellites in IRIS2’s LEO component, while authorizing Airbus to begin industrial work on 229 additional OneWeb satellites. The company is also expanding European satellite capabilities through payload and platform partnerships.
The U.S. Army has selected Boeing and Anduril to advance to the next phase of its competition for a midrange interceptor under the Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2 program. Separately, Anduril is providing autonomy software for a hypersonic aircraft startup targeting a 2027 flight test.
L3Harris will deliver VAMPIRE counter-uncrewed aircraft systems to the U.S. Navy for littoral defense, adding a maritime-ready capability to the service’s integrated counter-drone architecture. The system detects and engages drones at ranges of up to nine miles using 70mm rockets, according to the reports.
Royal Group of Abu Dhabi will provide $1 billion to support a 50-satellite constellation developed by French-American startup Loft Orbital and UAE-based Marlan Space. The system will combine optical and radar imaging with AI to serve customers in Europe and the United Arab Emirates, while IHC prepares to acquire an 80% stake in Marlan Space.
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Eclipse Space introduced CitraSat, SliceSat and SurgeSat platforms for direct-to-device connectivity, broadband and orbital data centers, alongside a Gama power partnership. Separately, Loft Orbital and Marlan Space plan a $1 billion AI satellite constellation, while AnySignal will integrate its network and radios with Apex platforms.
The proliferation of AI is forcing the U.S. Air Force to reassess how it defends networks against increasingly capable cyberattacks. Separately, a new regional defense pact centered on Mecca could alter competitive dynamics and export opportunities in Middle East arms markets.
Analysts say Starship must achieve deep reusability and cut launch costs by more than 90% to support SpaceX’s expansion of Starlink and compute infrastructure. Rising demand could push 2027 computing capacity toward 10 GW, while a Nasdaq-100 inclusion may generate as much as $15.5 billion in passive-fund buying.
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