Europe’s satellite sovereignty push faces funding test as EU space budget cycle ends

2027 is a turning point because several European space and communications arrangements reach deadlines at once. The EU’s €14.8 billion space programme for 2021-2027 ends, along with the wider Multiannual Financial Framework. Decisions about the next budget will shape future investment in satellites, research and secure networks.

The 2 GHz rights used for mobile satellite services also expire in May 2027. The Commission has proposed one EU-wide licence and wants part of the band reserved for European operators and an IRIS²-linked secure system. That could influence who can provide satellite-to-phone services.

The timing also brings practical tests. ESA plans IRIS² Low-LEO missions from 2027 to 2029. Sateliot expects a SpaceX launch in July 2027, followed later that year by a European launch on PLD Space’s Miura 5. Budget, spectrum and launch choices will therefore converge.

In this context, satellite sovereignty means Europe having enough control over its satellite networks, radio frequencies, data and supporting companies to act independently. It connects space infrastructure with political and technological independence. Javier López said that a Europe controlling its own network and data could make its own decisions.

The idea includes several practical choices. Europe could reserve spectrum for European operators and a secure system linked to IRIS². It could also support European satellite makers, launch companies and network providers. Sateliot’s planned role in IRIS²’s Low-LEO testing shows how commercial European firms may contribute.

Sovereignty does not mean every launch or component is already European. Sateliot still uses SpaceX for upcoming launches, while PLD Space is expected to carry its later Tritó satellites. The debate is about building stronger European capability and reducing reliance over time, especially in defence and communications.

The EU’s current 2021-2027 space programme has a budget of €14.8 billion. It supports major systems including Galileo, the EU’s satellite navigation service, and Copernicus, its Earth observation programme. That funding ends next year with the EU’s seven-year budget cycle.

For 2028-2034, the European Commission wants space funded through a new European Competitiveness Fund. This would be a single pot for strategic industries. The proposal would set aside €131 billion for defence and space, making it far larger than the current space-programme figure, although it covers both areas.

The future amount is proposed, not confirmed. EU leaders are due to discuss the next budget at a European Council meeting. Other funding routes will continue too, including Horizon Europe calls, EUSPA and ESA tenders, and a €55 million DG DEFIS framework contract for support linked to IRIS² and space activities.

Radio spectrum is the set of radio-frequency ranges used to send signals through the air and between satellites, phones and ground networks. Satellites and mobile systems need access to suitable frequencies to transmit data. Without authorised spectrum, a satellite network cannot reliably provide its intended communications service.

The 2 GHz band is important because it supports mobile satellite services that connect satellites directly to phones and other devices. Its current rights expire in May 2027. In May, the Commission proposed a single EU-wide licence for these services, with part of the band reserved for European operators and a secure system linked to IRIS².

That proposal could make access more coordinated across EU countries and strengthen European control of satellite communications. It could also affect which companies compete in the market. The final outcome depends on EU decisions about licensing, reservations and the future budget.

A single EU-wide licence could make mobile satellite services easier to organise across Europe. Instead of dealing with separate national arrangements, operators could seek one bloc-wide authorisation. The proposal matters because satellites serve users across borders, while the underlying radio frequencies are regulated.

The Commission also wants part of the 2 GHz band reserved for European operators and a secure system linked to IRIS². That would give those services defined access to spectrum used for direct satellite connections to phones and other devices. It could support a more coordinated European communications capability.

The change is proposed, not yet a completed policy. Its effects would depend on the final licence rules and the spectrum allocation. If adopted, it could strengthen European companies, support IRIS² and advance the strategic control discussed by EU officials. It would not by itself solve Europe’s launch or satellite-building challenges.

The EU sets policy and funding priorities, including spectrum rules, IRIS² and the future budget. ESA, a separate intergovernmental organisation, runs missions and contracts, including IRIS² testing. EUSPA, the EU space agency, also continues tenders. Together, these institutions shape the public framework and technical development.

Sateliot is a Barcelona-based operator whose spacecraft act like mobile phone masts in space. It connects IoT devices where ground networks do not reach and will study emergency 5G connectivity through RESCUE-NET. SpaceX currently provides rideshare launches for Sateliot satellites. PLD Space is a Spanish launch company scheduled to fly its first two Tritó satellites.

The roles show Europe’s capability is being built through partnerships. Sateliot’s next launch is planned with SpaceX in July 2027. The following late-2027 launch is intended to be entirely European, using PLD Space’s Miura 5. The article also mentions Alén Space, which built five launched satellites.

A satellite communications system needs satellites, spectrum and launches because each solves a different part of the connection. Satellites provide the space-based link. Radio frequencies carry messages between satellites, phones and other devices. Launch vehicles put the spacecraft into orbit, where they can pass over service areas.

Sateliot’s recent example shows the network effect. Five satellites built by Alén Space were launched on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 mission, bringing Sateliot’s total to 11. The company says the additions double daily passes over any given point. More passes can create more opportunities for IoT devices to connect where ground networks are absent.

Suitable spectrum is still needed for those links to operate, including access to the 2 GHz band for satellite-to-phone services. Reliable launches are equally important because spacecraft cannot join the network without reaching orbit. Europe is developing alternatives, but Sateliot’s next launch uses SpaceX, with PLD Space planned for a later mission.