European policymakers, national telecommunications authorities, and Barcelona-based Sateliot met at the European Parliament in Brussels to examine how funding and radio-frequency access shape control of satellite communications. The EU’s 14.8-billion-euro space program, which supports the Galileo navigation system and Copernicus Earth-observation service, expires in 2027. For 2028–2034, the European Commission proposes financing space through a new European Competitiveness Fund, with 131 billion euros allocated jointly to defense and space.
Sateliot’s spacecraft connect sensors and trackers beyond the reach of terrestrial networks. Spectrum—the radio frequencies used to transmit signals—was central to the discussion. The Commission has proposed a single EU-wide license for mobile satellite services in the 2 GHz band, where existing rights expire in May 2027. Part of that band would be reserved for European operators and a secure system associated with IRIS², the EU’s planned satellite constellation. Sateliot has also been selected to contribute to an IRIS² testing layer, with in-orbit missions planned for 2027–2029.
Launch independence remains another consideration. Sateliot launched five satellites with SpaceX on October 1, bringing its total launched to 11. After another planned SpaceX mission in July 2027, it intends to launch with Spain’s PLD Space later that year. The entirely European mission would carry two larger satellites designed to connect directly to ordinary phones using 5G, aboard the yet-to-fly Miura 5 rocket. Sateliot is raising 150 million euros from investors and aims to expand its constellation to more than 500 satellites.
