The European Space Agency and the European Commission have signed a contract with the SpaceRIDE consortium to develop and launch the IRIS2 secure communications constellation.
In late October, the European Commission announced that it had accepted the “best-and-final offer” from the SpaceRIDE consortium for the development of its Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity, and Security by Satellite (IRIS2) constellation. The initiative aims to establish a sovereign, secure, and resilient communication capability that is free from outside influence.
The IRIS2 constellation of satellites will consist of around 290 individual satellites in various orbits and the system’s associated ground infrastructure. While it will initially be utilized for governmental applications, it will, in the future, also have the capacity for commercial applications.
On 16 December, ESA, the European Commission, and the SpaceRIDE consortium, led by European satellite operators SES, Eutelsat, and Hispasat, signed a €10.55 billion, 12-year concession contract to develop the IRIS2 constellation.
“IRIS² will give us the ability to connect even in a hostile environment, to keep communication lines open despite jamming by hostile forces, interference, or cyberattacks,” explained EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius during his opening remarks. “IRIS² will provide concrete services to the European Union and Member States, for diplomatic and security communities, and for emergency responders. IRIS² will be our lifeline from space to protect Europe’s security, society, and economy.”
Under the contract terms, the EU will contribute €6 billion, the consortium €4 billion, and ESA €550 million toward the total value. In addition to the consortium’s three leads, the key partners include Thales Alenia Space, OHB, Airbus Defence and Space, Telespazio, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Hisdesat, and Thales SIX.
With the signing of the contract, initial funding for the project has been released. Full funding to complete the project, however, will only be decided after 2027, when the European Parliament and Council vote on adopting successor programmes.
The first launch of an IRIS2 satellite is expected to take place in 2029. According to ESA, all IRIS2 satellites will be launched aboard European rockets. The IRIS2 service is expected to be operational for governmental and commercial use by 2030.
