European Sovereignty Monitor

Defence and space

ESA awards Thales Alenia Space EUR 700 million initial Sentinel-1 NG contract

Thales Alenia Space signed an initial EUR 700 million ESA contract on 10 June as prime contractor for two Copernicus Sentinel-1 NG radar satellites, with Airbus building the C-band SAR instruments under a separate EUR 345 million deal.

Verified Thales Alenia Space press release, 10 June 2026

What it does not test. Does not disclose the full programme value or a launch date for the satellites.

How this item counts. No movement: no answer to who owns, who operates, whose law governs or who made the parts changes. Weight 0. Next-gen Copernicus satellites, same EU primes as before; no ownership change. European Sovereignty Index

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