European Space Agency Awards 18 Contracts to 80 Companies to Build European IRIS² Communications Network
The European Space Agency signed 18 contracts involving 80 industrial partners to develop the IRIS² low-Earth orbit constellation, which will provide sovereign broadband communications for Europe.
The European Space Agency has awarded 18 contracts to a consortium comprising 80 European companies and research institutions, covering various aspects of building the IRIS² low-Earth orbit communications constellation, in a step representing a qualitative leap toward building a sovereign European space infrastructure.
The IRIS² constellation aims to provide secure, broadband communications for government institutions and the private sector via low-Earth orbit, reducing European reliance on U.S. satellite communications providers such as SpaceX's Starlink network.
This investment reflects a strategic European orientation toward establishing an independent space capability in communications, in light of lessons learned from the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, which highlighted the importance of guaranteed satellite communications during crises.
IRIS² forms part of a broader wave of government investments in building national or regional communications constellations, including initiatives in China, India, and the United Kingdom, thereby reshaping the global satellite communications market map over the long term.
Weekly Newsletter
Read between the lines before everyone else. Decode the most important economic, tech, and decision-maker movements in the region.. in 5 minutes every Saturday.
