Raumfahrt: Was kann Europas Starlink Iris2?

Since more than two decades, SpaceX has been working on the idea of providing internet from space. The advantage lies in the fact that satellites can establish a fast connection anywhere in the world. The signals can be processed with a short delay if the satellites are placed in a low Earth orbit. While it may sound simple, it is technically extremely challenging.

The satellites zoom around the Earth at a speed of over 28,000 kilometers per hour, are expensive and need to be replaced every five to seven years. Early providers like Iridium or Globalstar went bankrupt. However, SpaceX founder Elon Musk managed to accomplish the feat, and the Starlink satellite network is now the company's financially most important pillar, generating a current quarterly revenue of 4.3 billion dollars.

The success is due to SpaceX's high technical expertise and efficient rockets that can bring the satellites into orbit comparatively cheaply. Now, the EU wants to build an alternative with Iris2, an acronym standing for "Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security through Satellites" – high two. What are the chances for a European Starlink, when will it arrive, and what can it offer? The key questions and answers.