SpaceX has signed an agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) to launch four Galileo navigation and communications satellites into orbit. This is the first time that the EU has partnered with SpaceX to launch a satellite containing classified information.

The launches will take place from the US next year in two rounds, using the company’s Falcon 9 rocket. The Galileo satellites enable encrypted communications between European governments and handle the bloc’s satellite navigation system.

This will be the first time that Galileo satellites have been sent into orbit from outside the EU in 15 years. EU and US officials are working together on the handling of classified information.

European officials were initially opposed to using SpaceX for Galileo launches, believing that the bloc should not depend on a US company to deliver critical infrastructure into space. However, the war in Ukraine and technical issues with several other European rockets have led to a change in thinking.

SpaceX has not yet responded to a request for comment, and a spokesperson for the ESA told the Wall Street Journal that the agency is “taking all necessary steps to ensure that the Galileo constellation continues to provide outstanding services in the coming months and years.”

This deal is a significant step forward for SpaceX and the EU, and it demonstrates the growing importance of private companies in the space industry.

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