EU expands IRIS² network to 348 satellites

European Commission, SpaceRISE consortium sign implementation agreement moving satellite network to the construction phase

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The European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium signed an implementation agreement on Friday that takes the European satellite network IRIS² from the drawing board into the construction phase.

The constellation is growing by 66 additional satellites in low Earth orbit to a total of 348. The first launches are scheduled to take place in 2029. Construction and launch partners have not yet been specifically appointed, but the names in the consortium do point in a certain direction.

With this, Europe is taking the next step towards a space-based data communication network for governments and businesses.

IRIS’s price tag is already increasing. Whereas the December 2024 concession was based on 290 satellites and €10.6 billion, the planned investment now comes to more than €15.6 billion, according to a press release from consortium partner Hispasat.

The future constellation will consist of 330 satellites in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit. The expansion is military in nature. The additional layer of 66 satellites is intended for defence, security and emergency services and is expected to increase secured governmental capacity within the Union by 60% and worldwide by 54%.

The main construction partners are Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space, OHB and Aerospacelab.

While Europe wants to start commercial operations in 2029, Starlink had 10.3 million subscribers by the end of 2025. Amazon is also rolling out a network with Leo, previously known as Project Kuiper.

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