en.Wedoany.com Reported - Germany's Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) officially launched the construction of the European Secure Satellite Communications Central Hub (GOVSATCOM Hub) at its Cologne campus on June 16. This hub will integrate sensitive communication services for governments and emergency responders, playing a central role in European security.
In the current era of crises and change, where ground networks may be disrupted at any time, ensuring the resilience of communication systems has become a critical challenge for Europe. The GOVSATCOM Hub is seen as a strategic investment to help Europe establish autonomous and controllable satellite communication capabilities. Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, Chair of the DLR Executive Board, noted that the location of one of the two EU central hubs at the DLR Cologne campus highlights the institution's key role in shaping Europe's sovereign space infrastructure. The campus, already an important aerospace center with the European Space Agency, the scientific community, and industry, will see further technological development and collaboration through this new project.
Dorothee Bär, Federal Minister for Research, Technology, and Space, emphasized that the GOVSATCOM Hub represents technological excellence and European cooperation, strengthening security and operational capabilities in the digital age. The project solidifies Germany's position as a space hub, fostering innovation and creating jobs.
The project is based on an agreement between the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology, and Space (Bundesministerium Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt; BMFTR) and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). The NRW state is investing up to €50 million in this strategic project. The Cologne hub will become one of two central European hubs for government and commercial satellite communications under the EU Space Programme, and a key component of the European GOVSATCOM initiative and the IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity, and Security by Satellite) constellation.
Hendrik Wüst, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, stated that the hub strengthens Europe's secure satellite communications, ensuring reliable communication for governments and emergency responders during crises. Against the backdrop of the current war in Ukraine and hybrid threats, the project is of great significance for European security, resilience, and technological sovereignty. Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection, and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia, added that this hub is a security gain for Europe and also sends a signal for the state as a business location.
Rodrigo da Costa, Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), explained that the agency is responsible for operating the GOVSATCOM Hub, ensuring secure, resilient, and cost-effective satellite communications for security and critical missions, as well as for official use by the EU and its member states.
The Cologne GOVSATCOM Hub will connect government users with existing satellite resources, coordinating the secure provision of communication services. Even when conventional communication channels fail or are disrupted, authorities and emergency responders can maintain operations. Meanwhile, the EU is developing the new IRIS² satellite constellation, consisting of hundreds of satellites, whose services will also be provided through the GOVSATCOM Hub in the future.
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