EU to bolster sovereign comms with 66 new satellites

The European Union is set to enhance its sovereign communications capabilities by launching 66 new satellites as part of a new flagship constellation called IRIS2. This initiative, in collaboration with a consortium consisting of major players like Airbus, Deutsche Telekom, and Eutelsat, aims to bolster secure government communications and reduce Europe's reliance on US-dominated space technologies such as SpaceX's Starlink services.

The EU's European Space Agency (ESA) expects the IRIS2 constellation to consist of 348 satellites, including 330 in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit, with first launches scheduled to begin by 2029. By offering secure government communication channels and enabling emergency services to respond to crises and protect essential infrastructure, IRIS2 will boost the bloc's sovereign space capabilities by 60%.

The expanded system is projected to generate over €15.6 billion in investments, with funding sourced from the EU's upcoming budgets, member states, and other countries. Poland and Hungary have committed more than €1 billion collectively, while Spain has pledged funds ranging from €1.6 billion to €2 billion. The SpaceRise consortium is investing €4 billion in the project, including €1.6 billion from Hispasat for ground stations and €1.35 billion from Luxembourg-based SES.

Eutelsat will contribute €2.23 billion in shared infrastructure for IRIS2 and an additional €1.16 billion in commercial infrastructure. The IRIS2 project, involving the Commission, member states, the ESA, and SpaceRise, aims to provide opportunities for start-ups and SMEs across the region to participate in its production.