EU GOVSATCOM Hub Site in Cologne to further strengthen Europe’s Secure Satellite Communications

Europe’s secure satellite communications programme took a major step forward last week with the groundbreaking of the GOVSATCOM Site in Cologne, Germany. The ceremony brought together senior EU representatives, including director for Secured and Connected Space, Catherine Kavvada, EUSPA Executive Director, Rodrigo da Costa, and Hendrick Wüst Minister-President of North-Rhine Westphalia and Matthias Hauer the parliamentary state secretary and Stéphane Beemelmans, Deputy Chair of the DLR Executive Board.

Operational since January 2026, EU GOVSATCOM provides secure and reliable satellite communication services to EU institutions and national public authorities responsible for security-critical missions and critical infrastructure. The system pools governmental satellite communication capacity from participating Member States and makes it available to authorised users, including those without their own national capacity.

Ground infrastructure at the heart of EU GOVSATCOM 

The EU GOVSATCOM relies on a secure platform called ‘’hub’’ that connects authorised government users with pooled satellite communications capacity from across Europe. It ensures reliable, real-time connectivity for security and safety critical missions, improving resilience when communications are most needed.

Since January 2026, an interim GOVSATCOM Hub is being operated by European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) delivering secure and cost-efficient satellite communications services to EU Member States. This interim infrastructure is now being progressively replaced by the two permanent operational sites in Athens, Greece and Cologne, Germany through which the hub will be operated. 

Both sites will strengthen redundancy, improve reliability, and ensure continuity of service across Europe’s governmental communications network. They are a key evolution of the system, which currently pools capacity from multiple satellites operated by several countries.

GOVSATCOM forms an important precursor to IRIS², the EU’s sovereign multi orbital communication system. As it evolves, the Cologne site will introduce higher automation, stronger security features, and enhanced operational performance, reinforcing Europe’s long term strategic autonomy in space-based communications.

Watch the video to learn more about GOVSATCOM or visit the dedicated webpage on the EU Space Programmes website.