IRIS²: The European satellite constellation is launched 🛰️

By Jean-Pierre Diris - Interministerial Coordinator for IRS ² and GOVSATCOM, National Centre for Space Studies (CNES)

The IRIS² program (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity, and Security by Satellite) will constitute Europe's first multi-orbit satellite network. This constellation will consist of approximately 300 satellites and is expected to be operational by 2030. On December 16, 2024, the IRIS² concession contract was signed between the European Commission and the Space Rise consortium (Eutelsat, SES, Hispasat) for 12 years and €10.6 billion (60% public, 40% private).


The increasingly strong shift towards the digital economy has an already observable consequence: a significant increase in the need for connectivity enabling rapid data transmission. In a global market where connectivity offerings are evolving rapidly, satellites now achieve technical performance (bandwidth, low Earth orbit latency) and economic performance close to terrestrial solutions (fiber optics). The enormous advantage is its constant deployment cost, regardless of the geographical area, especially for "white zones" not covered by terrestrial infrastructure.

The European IRIS² constellation is part of this transition, which increasingly requires data-sharing infrastructure, currently dominated by American players. A satellite constellation connects various users through multiple satellites, providing instant and permanent global coverage.

Telecommunications: A strategic issue for Europe

In the current context of development and deployment of several constellation initiatives, both public (China and the United States) and private (Oneweb, Starlink, Kuiper), addressing the current needs for data processing and connectivity arising from the digital transition, the telecommunications sector is more strategic than ever for France and Europe. The IRIS² program aims to address this challenge.

After attempts in the early 2000s, constellations have finally emerged, and projects are now credible and largely funded by public and private funds. Several factors have enabled their emergence, including advances in electronic miniaturization, the performance of integrated digital components, the drastic reduction in launch costs, and the industrial capacity to produce satellites in small series at lower costs.

Faced with the development of low Earth orbit satellite telecommunications (the region of Earth's orbit up to 2,000 kilometers in altitude), the approach adopted by the European Commission, combining the public and private sectors, aims to strengthen Europe in the race for constellations for the benefit of European citizens and their institutions.

A constellation of 300 satellites

The European Union (EU) program for a secure connectivity satellite constellation was decided in March 2023. This program, called IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity, and Security by Satellite), will constitute Europe's first multi-orbit satellite network. This constellation will consist of approximately 300 satellites.

This constellation will provide secure communication infrastructure to EU government bodies and agencies. The various communication links between users and the command and control links of the satellites will be protected, and ground infrastructure will be secured.

The system will ensure the EU's strategic autonomy in the field of secure government communications. The constellation will also provide commercial services and seek to maximize synergies between government and commercial infrastructure. Finally, the constellation will strengthen Europe's position, its industry, and its operators worldwide.

IRIS² is associated with the EU's existing GOVSATCOM program, which provides secure government communications based on capabilities from licensed operators or member states.

IRIS² is an EU-funded program amounting to €2.4 billion under the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027; additional funding is planned for the next MFF 2028-2035. This funding is supplemented by ESA with €600 million (subscribed at the November 2022 Ministerial Council) and private commercial actors under a concession contract.

After the validation of the EU regulation on the secure connectivity constellation initiative in March 2023, the European Commission launched the tender for the main contract for the development of the IRIS² constellation in May 2023. The tender was finalized with a consortium of 3 operators (Eutelsat, SES, Hispasat) associated with industrial subcontractors (Airbus, Thales, OHB, Deutsche Telekom, Orange) for a bid submission on September 2, 2024. This bid is currently under review by the European Commission with the aim of signing the 12-year IRIS² concession contract by the end of 2024.

A telecommunications service always accessible

The European Commission launched a call for applications in summer 2023 for hosting ground infrastructure of the constellation and selected in April 2024 for the IRIS² control centers in France (Toulouse), Italy (Fucino), and Luxembourg (Bettembourg).

The Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, decided to establish in France an interministerial coordination for IRIS² and GOVSATCOM, which I have been entrusted with, involving representatives from various ministries and agencies.

This national focal point aims to coordinate all French activities contributing to the development and operation of these programs, ensure a permanent relationship with European stakeholders (EU, ESA, EUSPA), and engage the French community of users of secure connectivity provided by these programs.

In terms of usage, the goal of IRIS² is to provide an autonomous and sovereign digital service to each EU member state. Today, space connectivity is essential, being the most reliable option in the absence of terrestrial telecommunication systems (when they do not exist or have been damaged by conflict or natural disaster, for example).

The program will provide a wide variety of services to European governments and citizens. The system enables border and remote area surveillance. The program is essential for civil protection, especially in times of crisis or natural disaster. It improves the delivery of humanitarian aid and the management of maritime emergencies, whether for search or rescue. Many connected smart networks - energy, finance, health, data centers, etc. - will be controlled through the connectivity provided by IRIS².

The system will also manage various infrastructures: air, rail, road, and automotive traffic. In addition, there are institutional telecommunications services, for example for embassies, and new telemedicine services for intervention in isolated areas. Finally, IRIS² will improve connectivity in strategic areas of interest within the framework of foreign security and defense policy: Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Arctic, the Atlantic, and the regions of the Baltic, Black Sea, and Mediterranean.

In terms of architecture, approximately 300 satellites could be designed, manufactured, and deployed initially. The satellites will be placed in two different orbits: low (up to 2,000 km) and medium (between 2,000 and 35,786 km). By covering this wide range, the constellation will be able to provide low-latency communication services - ultra-fast information transmission comparable to terrestrial network performance - and complement other European space programs.