Via Satellite
• Rachel Jewett
MDA Space won an initial antenna contract for 66 IRIS² satellites Thales Alenia Space aims to deliver in 2029, as Eutelsat forecasts $11 billion in IRIS² revenue for 2032–40 and OneWeb approaches EBITDA break-even. Telesat, meanwhile, pushed global Lightspeed service back three months to mid-2028 amid falling revenue and looming debt maturities.
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MDA Space won an initial antenna contract for 66 IRIS² satellites Thales Alenia Space aims to deliver in 2029, as Eutelsat forecasts $11 billion in IRIS² revenue for 2032–40 and OneWeb approaches EBITDA break-even. Telesat, meanwhile, pushed global Lightspeed service back three months to mid-2028 amid falling revenue and looming debt maturities.
Ukraine has completed its contribution to Freyja, a multinational ballistic-missile defense effort involving Kyiv and European partners. The system’s next step depends on partner components, leaving integration and deployment contingent on their delivery.
France’s first Falcon 8X Archange signals intelligence aircraft has arrived at Évreux for military testing. The program’s delivery timetable now points to 2028–2029, marking a step toward fielding a new airborne intelligence capability for the French armed forces.
MDA Space will build AURORA broadband digital phased-array antennas and controllers for the first 66 satellites in Europe’s IRIS² secure-connectivity constellation. The agreement with Thales Alenia Space is valued at more than €100 million, with the satellites scheduled to launch in 2029.
Slovakia’s top prosecutor has ordered a new investigation into the previous government’s donation of MiG-29 fighters and air defense systems to Ukraine. The move revives a probe that was closed earlier this year, putting the politically contentious transfer of military equipment back under scrutiny.
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CNES has started ground qualification testing of Callisto, a reusable rocket demonstrator, in French Guiana. The campaign precedes a first flight planned for 2027; the available report does not specify test objectives, vehicle capabilities or the partners involved.
European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis announced that the EU’s first hubs for unmanned and counter-unmanned aircraft technology will be located in Latvia and the Netherlands. The announcement came at a NATO event, as European institutions and allies focus on developing drone capabilities and countermeasures.
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