Wikipedia

IRIS²

This article is about the planned EU project. For other uses, see Iris II.

IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite) is a planned multi-orbit satellite internet constellation to be deployed by the European Union by 2027.[1][2][3][4]

IRIS²
Country/ies of originEuropean Union
Operator(s)EUSPA, ESA
Typebroadband satellite internet constellation
StatusUnder development
CoverageGlobal
Constellation size
Nominal satellitesA few hundred, including up to 170 LEO satellites
Current usable satellitesNone
First launch2025 (expected)
Other details
Cost€6 billion
Websitedefence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-space-policy/iris2_en (EU Defence Industry and Space)

It is intended to provide service to governmental agencies as well as commercial service to private entities. Its conception is a direct response to an increasing number of large satellite internet constellations outside of the control of the EU, such as Starlink, OneWeb or the forthcoming Kuiper project.[4] The total cost of the programme is estimated at €6 billion,[5][6][7][8][9] to which the European Union itself will contribute €2.4 billion from 2022 until 2027.[10][11]

In addition to its use for communications, there are also plans to use IRIS² for space surveillance, and to detect high-altitude spy balloons.[12]

IRIS² is part of an overall EU space strategy that will include the forthcoming EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence.[13]

History

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The project was first announced by the Council of the EU in November 2022.[1] A single multi-national industrial consortium, including Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space and Arianespace among others, is expected to carry it out.[14][15] The constellation is expected to be launched by European rockets such as the upcoming Ariane 6. The latter's first launch, initially scheduled for the end of the year 2022, is expected to take place in summer 2024 after several delays.[16][17][18] In case of further hiccups, foreign contractors, namely SpaceX, may be considered. Ariane 6's first launch ultimately took place on 9 July 2024.[19][20][21][22]

In January 2024, it was reported European space giants were putting the final touches on a common proposal for the sovereign broadband constellation amid the looming mid-February deadline to submit their best and final offer to the European Commission.[23] The contract was originally scheduled to be awarded by the end of March but the European Commission appears to have put it on hold. At a meeting of an EU parliamentary committee on April 9 2024, EU commissioner for the internal market, Thierry Breton, stated the commission was still working on finalizing the contract without providing an estimate regarding when it would be completed.[24]

In October 2024, the European Commission (EC) announced that the concession contract to develop, deploy and operate IRIS² had been awarded to SpaceRISE, a consortium of three European satellite operators— SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat— which would rely on a core team of 8 European space and telecommunications companies as subcontractors; they are Thales Alenia Space, OHB, Airbus Defence and Space, Telespazio, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Hisdesat and Thales SIX. The European Commission stated that IRIS² would be funded by the EU, the European Space Agency and private financing, and that the satellite constellation will comprise 290 satellites in multiple orbits, with the first satellites expected to enter service in 2030.[25][26]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Council and European Parliament agree on boosting secure communications with a new satellite system". www.consilium.europa.eu. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  2. ^ "Welcome to IRIS², Europe's new Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnection & Security by Satellites". European Commission - European Commission. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  3. ^ "OBSERVER: Copernicus gets sibling— IRIS², the new EU Secure Communication Constellation". www.copernicus.eu. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Europe wants its own ultra-secure satellite constellation". Le Monde.fr. 25 December 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  5. ^ Go-ahead for IRIS²: satellite broadband for rural and remote areas. European Union. 14 March 2023.
  6. ^ Brussels gives green light to satellite constellation Iris². Le Monde. 18 November 2022.
  7. ^ EU to launch its own communications satellite network. DW. 18 November 2022.
  8. ^ EU seeks satellite array offers in space race with AI. Reuters. 15 December 2023.
  9. ^ European space giants join forces for IRIS² . Space News. 2 May 2023.
  10. ^ Go-ahead for IRIS²: satellite broadband for rural and remote areas. European Union. 14 March 2023.
  11. ^ Adoption by the European Parliament of IRIS², Europe’s new Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnection & Security by Satellites. European Union. 14 February 2023.
  12. ^ "EU hopes new satellites can spot spy balloons, spacecraft". POLITICO. 14 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  13. ^ Flaherty, Nick (24 January 2023). "EU calls for 'single market' of space". eeNews Europe. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  14. ^ Filloux, Frédéric (21 October 2023). "Europe weeks away from finalizing sovereign broadband proposal". L'Express (in French). Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  15. ^ "EU to delay space law, constellation contract". 15 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Ariane-6 approche de son premier lancement". 7 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Europe's Ariane-6 rocket maiden flight expected by summer, space agency boss says". 12 January 2024.
  18. ^ "1st launch of Europe's Ariane 6 rocket finally has June 2024 launch target". 3 December 2023.
  19. ^ Amos, Jonathan (10 July 2024). "Europe's Ariane-6 rocket blasts off on maiden flight". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  20. ^ Stephen Clark (10 July 2024). "Europe's first Ariane 6 flight achieved most of its goals, but ended prematurely". Ars Technica. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  21. ^ Andrew Parsonson (10 July 2024). "Ariane 6 Anomaly Will Have "No Consequence" On Upcoming Missions". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  22. ^ Adrian Beil (10 July 2024). "Ariane 6 successfully launches on maiden flight from French Guiana". NASASpaceflight. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  23. ^ Rainbow, Jason (24 January 2024). "Europe weeks away from finalizing sovereign broadband proposal". SpaceNews. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  24. ^ "EU to delay space law, constellation contract". 15 April 2024.
  25. ^ IRIS² - the European Commission awards the concession contract to SpaceRISE consortium European Commission. 31 October 2024. Accessed 1 November 2024
  26. ^ SpaceRISE wins IRIS² contract Advanced Television. 1 November 2024. Accessed 1 November 2024


 

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