European Commission, Satellite Operators Finalize Deal to Expand IRIS² Network
Spanish Company to Lead $1.85 Billion Ground Segment as Program Cost Climbs to $18 Billion
The European Commission and the three-member SpaceRISE satellite consortium signed an implementation agreement Aug. 6, moving the European Union’s IRIS² secure communications constellation from design into full-scale deployment.
“The completion of RDV1 transitions IRIS² from a design phase to an implementation phase,”
Adel Al-Saleh, SES
The agreement follows negotiations that began in January between the Commission, the European Space Agency and SpaceRISE, whose members are Eutelsat of France, HispaSat of Spain and SES of Luxembourg. IRIS² is a public-private partnership intended to give European governments, defense forces and emergency services secure satellite connectivity, with initial services planned for 2030.
The deal expands the constellation’s scope and cost. The Commission is adding a dedicated layer of 66 satellites in low Earth orbit to strengthen defense, security and emergency-service capabilities, according to a SES news release. SES said the reinforcement will increase secure governmental capacity by 60% within the EU and 54% globally. The expansion requires additional funding beyond the program’s original budget, to be drawn from the EU’s 2028-2034 budget resources and further contributions from member states.
Under the agreement, HispaSat — operating under the Indra Space brand — will serve as prime contractor for the constellation’s ground segment: antenna infrastructure, control systems and ground network connections, according to a news release from Indra Group. Indra said the contract is valued at more than $1.85 billion (1.6 billion) and described it as the largest and most complex ground infrastructure built to date for a European space program. HispaSat will also lead development of the constellation’s very low Earth orbit layer, operating below 466 miles (750 kilometers) in altitude, which is designed to support direct-to-device and Internet of Things connectivity.
HispaSat separately committed to invest up to $694 million (600 million) in exchange for exploitation rights to non-geostationary orbits in what the company called regions of high strategic and commercial value.
The two operators’ releases differ on the constellation’s final satellite count. SES said the future constellation will comprise 348 satellites — 330 in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit. Indra put the figure at 342 satellites, consisting of 330 in low Earth orbit and 12 in medium Earth orbit. Neither release reconciles the discrepancy.
The Commission and ESA, together with SpaceRISE, have set first launches as a target for 2029, according to both releases. That date is a program milestone rather than a confirmed launch date.
The total program investment, spanning public and private funding, now exceeds $18 billion (€15.6 billion), the Indra release said. Of that, the SpaceRISE consortium is contributing up to $4.6 billion (4 billion), with the Commission and ESA providing $13.4 billion (€11.6 billion) in public funds. Individual EU member states are adding further money on top of that total: Poland has committed $758 million (€656 million) and Hungary $578 million (€500 million), according to the SES release, while Spain has announced a national program of between $1.85 billion and $2.3 billion (€1.6-2 billion).
“The completion of RDV1 transitions IRIS² from a design phase to an implementation phase,” said Adel Al-Saleh, chief executive of SES in a news release. He said SES’s role leading the medium Earth orbit segment, along with user terminal and operations work, is “helping build a critical layer of Europe’s future multi-orbit connectivity infrastructure.”
Andrius Kubilius, the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, said the agreement marks “a decisive step forward for Europe’s security and digital sovereignty” and that the reinforced constellation will boost secure governmental capacity by more than 60% within the EU.
Luis Mayo, chief executive of HispaSat, said the agreement strengthens the company’s position “among the leaders of the European space industry.” Pedro Duque, HispaSat’s non-executive president, said the program “addresses this dual need at a critical geopolitical moment,” referring to secure communications and industrial support for Spain’s space sector.
The Commission said it has notified the European Parliament and EU member states of the negotiation outcome and next steps, which include finalizing satellite designs, procuring launch services and building secure ground infrastructure.