The European Union has awarded a contract to a consortium led by SES, Eutelsat, and Hispasat to develop IRIS², a secure satellite constellation aimed at reducing reliance on foreign providers such as Starlink. The IRIS² project, which targets 290 satellites in low and medium Earth orbits, will provide autonomous, high-speed connectivity to EU government and commercial sectors by 2030. The European Commission estimates the project’s cost could exceed €10 billion ($10.8 billion).
This 12-year public-private partnership involves key subcontractors such as Thales Alenia Space, Airbus Space and Defence, Telespazio, and Thales SIX. The contract is scheduled to be signed by December, with the EU’s funding commitment running through 2027, necessitating future financing negotiations.
The SpaceRISE consortium says IRIS² will deliver low-latency broadband across Europe, the Arctic, and underserved areas, supporting EU resilience and security goals. Once fully operational in the early 2030s, IRIS² will enable border and maritime surveillance, embassy communications, and secure connectivity for military missions, making it a crucial component of the EU’s digital sovereignty strategy.
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