Eutelsat Group has authorized Airbus Defence and Space to manufacture 229 additional OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, a €1 billion ($1.16 billion) investment designed to bridge the operational gap before the European Union’s IRIS² secure communications network comes online.

Announced on September 10, 2026, at the International Space Summit in Paris, the Authorisation to Proceed (ATP) brings Eutelsat’s total order of next-generation OneWeb satellites from Airbus to 669. The agreement ensures service continuity for the constellation by progressively replacing first-generation units reaching the end of their design life.

Manufacturing and Payload Upgrades

The new batch of satellites will be manufactured at the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France. According to Eutelsat, the spacecraft will feature advanced digital channelisers to enhance onboard processing capabilities and will include the capacity to embark hosted payloads. These technical upgrades are intended to maintain network performance until the full commercial availability of the IRIS² network.

The OneWeb architecture currently consists of over 600 first-generation satellites operating at an altitude of 1,200 kilometers across 12 synchronized orbital planes.

“This new contract from Eutelsat highlights the maturity of our product, the excellence of our supply chain and their trust in our industrial know-how for high rate satellite manufacturing for large-scale LEO constellations,” said Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space. “This is also a further step for European sovereignty, for which Airbus and Eutelsat have been key partners for decades!”

Launch Timeline and Fleet Replenishment

The September 10 agreement follows a series of procurement expansions. Eutelsat initially awarded Airbus a contract for 100 next-generation satellites in December 2024, expanding the order by 340 units in January 2026. The latest addition of 229 satellites will enable Eutelsat to progressively replenish and expand the OneWeb constellation through 2034.

Deliveries from the initial 440-satellite order are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. To support the constellation’s renewal, Eutelsat also announced on September 10, 2026, that it selected Arianespace to conduct two dedicated launches in 2027 and 2028 using the Ariane 64 rocket.

Eutelsat Chief Executive Officer Jean-François Fallacher described the order as a critical step for the company’s LEO strategy.

“With the first satellites from the 440 due for delivery and launch soon, our replenishment programme is moving forward,” Fallacher said. “The planned addition of 229 more satellites will further strengthen OneWeb, while IRIS² will bring significant new capacity and capabilities. Together, they give us a powerful roadmap to serve our customers, grow our LEO business and reinforce our role at the heart of Europe’s sovereign connectivity future.”

Bridging the Gap to IRIS²

The OneWeb replenishment strategy is closely tied to broader European space initiatives. On the same day as the satellite order, Airbus Defence and Space confirmed it signed an initial contract to design and build the first layer of satellites for Europe’s sovereign IRIS² constellation on behalf of Eutelsat. The 229 new OneWeb units will serve as a transitional capacity bridge until the European Union fully deploys the IRIS² system.

AirPro News analysis

We view the concurrent announcements of the OneWeb expansion, the Arianespace launch contracts, and the IRIS² development as a consolidated push to secure European autonomy in low Earth orbit. By anchoring both the commercial OneWeb replenishment and the state-backed IRIS² program with Airbus, Eutelsat is streamlining its supply-chain while reinforcing the European aerospace industrial base. The selection of the Ariane 64 for upcoming launches further demonstrates a strategic pivot away from foreign launch providers, aligning commercial satellite operations with the European Union’s broader geopolitical objectives for sovereign connectivity.

Sources: Airbus

Firefly Aerospace and SSC Space have signed a multi-launch agreement to conduct two Alpha rocket missions from the Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Sweden, establishing a new orbital launch capability directly from mainland Europe.

Announced in a press release on September 9, 2026, the contracts targets initial launches no earlier than 2028. The partnership utilizes Firefly Aerospace’s “launch as a franchise” model, allowing SSC Space to secure full payload capacity for allocation to its government and commercial customers.

Strategic Implications for European Space Access

The agreement is designed to serve Sweden’s national security requirements and commercial rideshare customers while providing launch site diversification for NATO allies. By operating from northern Sweden, the partnership aims to create a resilient and responsive space mission architecture for European and allied defense networks.

Charlotta Sund, CEO and Group President of SSC Space, stated that adding an orbital launch capability to mainland Europe strengthens the continent’s competitiveness in the commercial space arena. She noted the agreement contributes to greater resilience and strategic autonomy within the defense domain.

Firefly Aerospace CEO Jason Kim indicated the contract validates European demand for localized orbital launch capabilities.

“These first two missions are just the start of a long-term, multi-launch partnership with SSC Space that will provide assured access to space for years to come with our proven Alpha rocket,” Kim said in the release.

Infrastructure and Regulatory Foundations

The September 9, 2026, agreement follows the completion of critical project milestones announced on June 30, 2026. These earlier milestones included the establishment of transatlantic regulatory frameworks and a formal agreement with the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration.

Operations at the Esrange Space Center will be governed by the U.S.-Sweden Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA). This bilateral framework provides the legal and non-proliferation structure required for United States commercial launch vehicles to operate on European soil.

Launches will take place from Launch Complex 3C at the Swedish facility. Key infrastructure at the site has already been completed, including the launch control center, payload processing facility, launch vehicle integration building, tracking and control systems, and security facilities. Final construction on the launch pad itself is currently underway.

AirPro News analysis

The activation of Esrange Space Center for orbital launches represents a material shift in European space logistics. Historically, European institutional payloads have relied heavily on the Guiana Space Centre in South America or external commercial providers launching from the United States. By bringing Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket to mainland Europe, we see a direct response to the growing demand for sovereign, responsive space access among NATO members. The “launch as a franchise” model also mitigates commercial risk for Firefly by transferring payload allocation and customer management responsibilities to SSC Space, ensuring the launch provider can focus strictly on vehicle operations and integration.

Sources: Firefly Aerospace via GlobeNewswire

The Boeing Company has delivered the final three satellites of the initial O3b mPOWER constellation to SES, completing the manufacturing phase of a 13-spacecraft network designed to provide low-latency global connectivity.

The delivery of satellites F11, F12, and F13 to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida was announced in a September 2, 2026, press release. The spacecraft are scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in September 2026 and are expected to enter commercial service in mid-2027 following orbit raising and initialization.

Constellation completion and commercial impact

The O3b mPOWER network operates in medium Earth orbit (MEO) and utilizes the Boeing 702X spacecraft platform. The architecture features a software-defined payload that allows bandwidth to be electronically steered and shaped on demand. Ten satellites are already on orbit, with the ninth and tenth entering commercial service in March 2026.

SES Chief Product and Innovation Officer Xavier Bertran stated that the performance of the existing on-orbit satellites validates the architecture.

“The delivery of these final three satellites allows us to ramp up our constellation’s capabilities to meet growing commercial and government demand,” Bertran said.

Dual-use technology and defense applications

The commercial maturation of the O3b mPOWER constellation serves as a technical baseline for critical United States national security systems. Boeing is adapting the software-defined payload technology for U.S. Space Force military satellite communications (MILSATCOM) programs.

This adaptation includes the design and manufacturing of the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS)-11 and WGS-12 systems, along with the Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS) program. Leveraging the commercial 702X platform is intended to minimize schedule risks for these national defense applications.

Ryan Reid, president of Boeing Satellite Systems International, noted that the fully operational constellation demonstrates the effectiveness of the company’s software-defined payload technologies. He added that the system secures demanding missions for commercial, joint-force, and allied military customers.

AirPro News analysis

We view the completion of the initial O3b mPOWER manufacturing run as a stabilizing milestone for Boeing’s space division. By successfully transitioning the 702X software-defined architecture from a commercial application with SES to critical U.S. Space Force contracts, Boeing establishes a dual-use production rhythm that could support its satellite manufacturing backlog. The reliance on SpaceX for launch services also highlights the ongoing industry reality where satellite manufacturers and operators routinely utilize competitor launch vehicles to maintain deployment schedules.

Sources: The Boeing Company