On 14 October, Ukraine accused SpaceX of throttling Starlink terminals at the front. Elon Musk replied that the US military, and ultimately the president, controls the speeds of Starshield, the government version. Washington has not confirmed this, and service was later restored. The episode renewed Europe’s calls for independent satellite communications. On 12 October, EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said the first phase of IRIS², the planned EU constellation, should launch by 2029. Germany’s share is concrete but unfinished. Bremen-based OHB will build 18 IRIS² satellites, and the Bundeswehr plans its own system, SATCOMBw 4. No contract has been awarded.
IRIS² is planned at 348 satellites and is run by the SpaceRISE consortium (SES, Eutelsat, Hispasat), with an implementation agreement signed in early August. First launches are due in 2029, services in 2029 or 2030, about two years later than the original plan. OHB’s contract is worth just under €1 billion. SATCOMBw 4 could cost €8–10 billion, with a first partial constellation of up to 40 satellites in 2029. OHB Rheinmetall Space Networks is bidding, and an award is expected around the turn of the year. Contracts above €25 million need Bundestag Budget Committee approval. Launch capacity is the main bottleneck, since Europe relies on Ariane 6.
