The expensive acquisition received the green light in 2018 - but officials had largely underestimated the true costs of the satellite. They initially set the budget at €170 million.
Last week, the government presented the Chamber of Deputies with a second draft bill that, if passed, would increase the budget for the military satellite to €350 million.
When they presented the project and its estimated costs in 2018, officials explained, they believed that the required antennas and management systems could be installed at the military headquarters in Diekirch. They later realised that this was not possible - the management and maintenance of the satellite need to be outsourced to Redu in Belgium.
The maintenance of the satellite costs around €30 million per 10 years while the rent costs in Redu will amount to €50 million.
Minister of Defense Francois Bausch will present the draft bill in greater detail to the Chamber of Deputies this Monday afternoon.
