The European Union and the European Space Agency have launched the IRIS2 Project, whose objective is to create a Own, secure and independent satellite internetwith technical characteristics similar to Elon Musk’s Starlink.
The IRIS2 project, acronym for Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Satellite Securityhas free rein once the last contracts have been signed. A public-private collaboration with a budget of 10.6 billion euros and that will have the collaboration of the European space agency and SpaceRISE, an industrial group led by satellite companies such as SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat and that includes important companies such as Airbus, Deutsche Telekom and Thales.
IRIS2 will enhance existing EU systems such as Copernicus and Galileo, resulting in more precise navigation and timing and the delivery of valuable Earth data. Most of the satellite capacity will be used for commercial broadband servicesbut a significant part will focus on government communicationssuch as security and crisis management.
The network will operate in low and medium Earth orbits, and the first launch is planned for 2029. Funding for this project will come from different sources: the EU will provide 6 billion euros, ESA will provide 550 million euros and the private sector will provide the rest of the budget, more than 4,000 million euros.
Although the additional broadband capacity offered by the satellite network is only a secondary benefit of its primary purpose, the benefits are clear. The creation of a strong and independent European satellite network could improve Internet access, especially in remote or “forgotten” rural areas where the large telecos do not see business to market broadband services. The EU hopes that as more companies access satellite Internet, EU citizens will be able to enjoy lower prices and better service.
IRIS2 project, underway
The IRIS2 Project will compete with services such as Starlink or Blue Origin, both from private companies (SpaceX and Amazon, respectively). Although Elon Musk’s company is far ahead, taking advantage of its impressive capacity by achieving a “commercial” scale with which other rivals cannot compete, by having technologies, rockets and its own launch platform for deployment, the European version plans to offer an independent option focused on government and security needs, as well as those of the general public.
An ambitious program, there is no doubt, that It will last 12 years and will have almost 300 satellites launched by European rockets and will be built on the other two large EU satellite constellations, Copernicus and Galileo, the largest Earth observation program and the most precise GPS system, respectively. The first launch of the IRIS2 Project is planned for 2029.
