Paris space summit closes with €20B in deals, Iris² contracts

The first International Space Summit concluded at the Grand Palais in Paris on Thursday, September 10, with France and the European Union throwing their weight behind Iris², the bloc's flagship satellite communications constellation. The two-day event, which drew 90 countries and international organizations, produced about €20 billion in announced investments and 51 signed deals.thenextweb+1

"We have successfully launched Iris²," President Emmanuel Macron declared on the summit's closing day, according to Le Monde. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen framed the effort in strategic terms: "In a crisis, Europe must have connectivity and communication on our own terms" — a pointed reference to Europe's desire to reduce its reliance on Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX.lemonde

Billions in Contracts Take Shape

The summit served as the launchpad for several major industrial contracts. Airbus Defence and Space signed an initial contract to design and build the first 66 low-Earth-orbit satellites for the constellation, which form its sovereign military communications layer, with delivery expected by 2029. Belgium's Aerospacelab secured a €2.4 billion contract to manufacture 264 additional satellite platforms, while Thales Alenia Space signed an agreement worth an initial €500 million — and expected to exceed €3 billion — covering government communications payloads for all 330 LEO satellites. Germany's OHB had already won a nearly €1 billion contract in late August for the 18 medium-Earth-orbit satellite platforms.airbus+1

The contracts follow an implementation agreement signed on August 7 between the European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium — made up of SES, Eutelsat ↘ 0.50%, and Hispasat — that expanded the constellation to 348 satellites and moved first launches forward to 2029.lawandtechnology+1

A Push for Strategic Autonomy

Beyond Iris², ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher called for closer coordination between European institutions and industry to maintain independent access to space, pointing to Europe's Ariane 6 and Vega-C launchers as a foundation that still requires sustained investment. Von der Leyen echoed the theme, arguing that "Europe's strength in space lies in its ability to work together".techreviewafrica

The summit's broader message was unmistakable: with the United States' dominant commercial space sector and growing geopolitical competition in orbit, Europe is betting that pooling resources across borders — and writing large checks — is the price of remaining a spacefaring power on its own terms.