Eutelsat Eyes ISRO Rockets To Cut Dependence On SpaceX For Satellite Launches: Report

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Europe's largest satellite operator Eutelsat is exploring launch partnerships with the Indian Space Research Organisation as it looks to reduce its reliance on SpaceX and Ariane rockets for putting spacecraft into orbit, the Business Standard reported.

Eutelsat CEO Jean-François Fallacher confirmed to Reuters that discussions with ISRO are underway, though no agreement has been finalised yet. ISRO has not commented on the matter.

The development comes against the backdrop of growing strategic cooperation between India and France across defence, space and maritime domains.

French President Emmanuel Macron has previously pushed for deeper Franco-Indian collaboration in space, cautioning that depending on non-European launch providers was "madness".

Fallacher visited New Delhi in February as part of Macron's delegation and held meetings with India's telecom minister and regulators on market access. "We are preparing for the future, because launch capacity needs to be prepared very much in advance," he said. "India is a huge country ... so getting market access is strategic."

ISRO has prior experience working with Eutelsat's constellation. Before Eutelsat's 2023 merger with OneWeb, the London-based satellite internet firm that had been jointly rescued by Britain and India's Bharti, ISRO had already launched 72 OneWeb satellites aboard its LVM3 rocket.

The combined entity lost access to Russian Soyuz rockets following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

India is actively restructuring its space sector, pushing routine manufacturing and commercial launches toward private players while directing ISRO's resources toward advanced research.

New Delhi aims to grow the domestic space economy to approximately $44 billion by 2033.

Eutelsat currently operates 650 satellites and expects to cross 1,000 soon, with Airbus building 440 new spacecraft. Fallacher said the company is fully financed through 2031 after securing 5 billion euros in refinancing last year. "We will not come back next year or the year after to request additional funding from the market," he said.

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