Today, the European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium concluded negotiations and signed an implementation agreement to roll out IRIS², the European Union’s new flagship satellite constellation. The agreement, among other things, adds 66 satellites into low Earth orbit to the programme, bringing the main constellation to 348 satellites, and moving it from planning to full-scale deployment.
“By accelerating the delivery of early defence and security services and reinforcing the IRIS² architecture, we will not only bring the network into operation ahead of schedule but also boost secure governmental capacity by more than 60% within the Union,” Defence and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said in a statement.
IRIS² will be built through a strong Team Europe approach, combining the expertise of the European Commission, Member States, the European Space Agency, the European Union Agency for the Space Programme and European industry. Under the public-private partnership, the SpaceRISE consortium (consisting of SES, EUTELSAT and HISPASAT) and European manufacturers have committed to deliver the required space and ground infrastructure to meet the accelerated timeline.
The industrial team includes major European space companies such as Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space, OHB and Aerospacelab, together with numerous companies across the European supply chain. By design, the programme will also generate opportunities for start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-caps developing innovative space technologies.
With a clear roadmap setting out the next steps, the Commission sent an official letter to the European Parliament and Member States to inform them of the outcome of the negotiations and the implementation phase.
Under the leadership of the Commission and the technical expertise of the European Space Agency, the SpaceRISE consortium will now accelerate programme development. This includes satellite manufacturing, the procurement of launch services, and the development of secure ground infrastructure to ensure the timely deployment of the constellation.
The satellite constellation is expected to become operational in 2029.
