European Commissioner for Defence and Space visits SES Luxembourg campus

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye

The European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius has visited the Luxembourg campus of SES S.A. in Betzdorf, where he was briefed on the company’s space capabilities and ongoing contributions to Europe’s secure communications initiatives.

The visit took place in the presence of Luxembourg’s Minister of Defence Yuriko Backes and included meetings with senior executives and engineering teams. SES Chief Executive Officer Adel Al-Saleh welcomed the delegation and highlighted the growing importance of space infrastructure for autonomy, defence readiness and collective deterrence across Europe.

Discussions focused on the European Union’s strategic space initiatives, including IRIS2, aimed at developing secure and sovereign satellite communications. SES and its partners in the SpaceRISE consortium are contributing to the programme, which is designed to deliver resilient connectivity services to EU member states.

Commissioner Kubilius also met with the SES IRIS2 team during the visit and expressed support for their work in advancing Europe’s connectivity ambitions.

SES presented examples of next-generation cybersecurity solutions delivered via satellite, including a satellite-enabled Quantum Key Distribution payload developed with support from European Space Agency. The technology is intended to support the early adoption of quantum-safe communications and strengthen cross-border digital infrastructure.

As part of Luxembourg’s defence capabilities, SES participates in GovSat, a public-private joint venture with the Luxembourg government. The GovSat1 satellite currently provides government-grade secure communications for various missions, with plans underway for the development and launch of GovSat2.

During the tour, the delegation visited the Satellite Operations Center, service management facilities and ground infrastructure. SES officials emphasized the company’s experience operating Medium Earth Orbit and Geostationary Earth Orbit satellites, as well as partnerships in Low Earth Orbit systems, as central to its multi-orbit strategy.

The visit underscored continued collaboration between European institutions and industry stakeholders to strengthen secure space-based communications and technological innovation.