The key facts
- The Ukrainian army reported Starlink restrictions at receiver speeds above 160 km/h; who imposed the restriction is unclear, and Musk rejected responsibility
- The EU's IRIS² network: 348 satellites, launches from 2029; OHB received a contract for 18 satellites, Aerospacelab for 264, Airbus for at least 66
- The Bundeswehr plans its own SATCOMBw 4 network costing 8–10 billion euros; experts call rocket launches the 'bottleneck'
Starlink restrictions in Ukraine and the reaction
This week the Ukrainian army reported restrictions on the Starlink satellite service: the connection drops when receiving devices move at speeds above 160 km/h — including on drones. The service's operation was partially restored, but the upper speed limit remained. Who ordered the restriction is unclear. SpaceX head Elon Musk rejected suggestions that the company initiated the shutdown, writing on X that the Starshield system is under the direct control of the US government. Starlink and Starshield are developed by SpaceX but are intended for different users: the former for private individuals and businesses, the latter for government agencies and the military. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski reacted sharply on X: 'Hey, Elon Musk, you 'great man', are you playing politics with your products again? We, your European clients, are watching you closely.' Poland paid for a significant portion of the Ukrainian terminals. The situation once again raised the question of the armed forces' dependence on satellite communications.
The European answer: IRIS²
The EU has been developing its own satellite network IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite) for about six years. It is meant to provide secure communications for government agencies, companies and citizens and to close gaps in mobile coverage in Europe and Africa. Quantum technology from the European quantum communication infrastructure EuroQCI will be used for encryption. In early August, the European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium agreed on implementing the project. The network will consist of 348 satellites: 330 in low orbit and 18 in medium orbit. Another 66 spacecraft are intended for defence, security and emergency services; according to the Commission's calculations, this will increase secure channels for government structures by 60% in the EU and 54% worldwide. The main focus is the state, the military and critical services; later, private individuals will also be able to use the network. The launch of the first satellites is planned for 2029, with phased service rollout from 2029–2030.
Germany's role and disputes over its share
Germany is represented in the project by the Bremen-based company Orbitale Hochtechnologie Bremen (OHB). On 31 August it signed a contract worth just under 1 billion euros with operator SES to build 18 satellites for medium Earth orbit; each spacecraft weighs about 2.6 tonnes at launch. OHB CEO Marco Fuchs sees the programme as an important step towards European independence. Germany's share sparked disputes at an early stage: as Frankfurter Rundschau reports, in December 2023 the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs sent companies a sharply worded letter demanding urgent clarification of German industry's participation and its share of value creation.
The Bundeswehr's own network
Independently of IRIS², the Bundeswehr plans a national satellite network, SATCOMBw 4, financed by the federal government. Major General Armin Fleischmann, the Bundeswehr's commissioner for space, told MDR that it involves a constellation similar to Starlink but on a smaller scale; in an interview with Handelsblatt he spoke of 'flying Fritzboxes' in space. The network is initially to cover NATO's eastern flank under national control, with individual components supplied by Western partners, including the USA. In September 2025, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced that 35 billion euros would be invested in military space projects by 2030; in July he visited OHB in Bremen. According to the Bundeswehr, in its final stage the system will include more than a hundred satellites in low orbit and cost 8–10 billion euros; the first phase with up to 40 satellites is to become operational in 2029, with full capability from 2030. The joint venture OHB Rheinmetall Space Networks is bidding for the contract: OHB is responsible for the satellites, Rheinmetall for ground stations and terminals. No decision has yet been made; according to industry estimates, the contract could be awarded around the turn of the year, although insiders also allow for early 2027. The Bundeswehr currently uses two geostationary satellites, COMSATBw-1 and COMSATBw-2 (2009 and 2010); their successors are being built by Airbus, with delivery to orbit in 2029. The first of three SARah radar satellites was launched in 2022 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Who is building the IRIS² satellites
The largest share of orders went not to a large established player but to a young company: Belgium's Aerospacelab, founded in 2018 in Charleroi, is producing 264 satellites for low orbit. According to the company, the order is worth 2.4 billion euros, with deliveries to be completed by 2030; from 2027 the new plant in Charleroi is planned to produce up to 500 spacecraft per year. Airbus is building at least 66 first-tier satellites for military communications, to be ready by 2029. Thus the entire low-orbit segment of 330 spacecraft has been allocated, and together with OHB's 18 satellites the constellation will comprise 348 spacecraft.
Is the 2029 deadline realistic
Meeting the deadline is an open question: according to media reports, the first satellites were originally planned to be launched two years earlier. Experts consider rocket launches the 'bottleneck': without launch vehicles, satellites will not get into space, and those who cannot launch independently depend on others. Europe is betting on the Ariane 6 rocket, which has been flying since 2024. Andreas Knopp of the Bundeswehr University in Munich notes in the weekly Das Parlament that the number of launches is limited, while political scientist Antje Nötzold from Chemnitz University of Technology told MDR about a 'problem with launch vehicles'. This year Ariane 6 has launched four times, three times carrying satellites for Amazon Leo — the satellite internet service of the American company, intended to compete with Starlink. Amazon has booked at least 18 Ariane 6 launches. In early August, the European Commission named the procurement of launch services for IRIS² as one of the project's next steps.
