European Defence Agency Allocates €15.65 Million for Research and Development of First VLEO Satellite Concept

The European Defence Agency has allocated €15.65 million to research the development of its first Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) satellite concept, called VLEO-DEF. The project will be led by Spanish engineering firm Sener and involves a consortium of 17 companies from across Europe. Work on the new satellite is expected to run for 36 months, addressing technical challenges such as residual atmospheric drag. This move may signal Europe’s growing investment in military satellite capabilities, with potential implications for defense strategy and operations.