14.01.2025
Credit: ESA / CNES / Arianespace / ArianeGroup / Optique video du CSG / S. Martin
ArianeGroup CEO Martin Sion stated on 10 January that discussions regarding a launch contract for the European Union’s IRIS2 secure communications megaconstellation must begin in 2025, emphasizing the need for an agreement to be reached quickly.
In December 2024, the European Union signed a €10.6 billion contract with the SpaceRIDE consortium to develop and launch around 290 satellites for the IRIS2 constellation. The satellites will be deployed into various orbits around Earth with the goal of establishing a sovereign, secure, and resilient communication capability for EU member state governments. The first IRIS2 satellites are expected to be launched in 2029. Any launch contracts awarded as part of the IRIS2 programme will have a European preference.
As of today, Arianespace, the commercial operator of Ariane 6 and, until the end of 2025, Vega C, is the only game in town if you’re looking to launch a payload aboard a European rocket. However, starting in 2025, at least two European launch startups (Isar Aerospace and Rocket Factory Augsburg) expect to offer more choices for both institutional and commercial customers. The field will continue to widen toward the close of the decade, with MaiaSpace, Latitude, HyImpulse, HyPrSpace, Orbex, PLD Space, and Skyrora all working toward an inaugural flight of their respective vehicles.
On 10 January, the Association des Journalistes Professionnels de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace (Association of Professional Journalists in Aeronautics and Space) welcomed representatives from ArianeGroup, Arianespace, and MaiaSpace for a press event. During the event, ArianeGroup CEO Martin Sion explained the need to move quickly to secure launch services for the IRIS2 constellation.
“We must begin discussions in 2025 and quickly reach an agreement with the SpaceRIDE consortium and the European Commission.”
At the same meeting, Caroline Arnoux, Ariane 6 Operations Director at Arianespace, explained that the company estimates it would need between 10 and 15 Ariane 64 rockets to launch the entire constellation.
Arianespace currently has a backlog of 30 Ariane 6 launches, with five planned for 2025. This leaves 25 launches to be completed over the following three years to free up capacity for IRIS2 satellite launches in 2029. Achieving this would require a little over eight launches per year, just three shy of the rocket’s maximum annual capacity. However, ramping up to this cadence in such a short timeframe could prove to be a significant challenge for ArianeGroup.
Quelle: European Spaceflight LTD