Commission welcomes political agreement to launch IRIS², the Union's Secure Connectivity Programme
The Commission welcomes the political agreement reached today between the European Parliament and EU Member States on the Union Secure Connectivity Programme 2023-2027 with a budget of €2.4 billion. The programme aims at deploying an EU satellite constellation, to be called ‘IRIS²' (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite). Negotiations have now concluded, paving the way for final approval of the legal text by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
Satellite based connectivity through Low earth orbit will also enable Europe to provide ultra-secured connectivity to armed forces.
It will include the latest quantum communication technologies for secure encryption by integrating the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI).
Next Steps
The political agreement reached by the European Parliament, Council and Commission is now subject to formal approval by the European Parliament and the Council.
The Commission will soon present several implementing acts, as set out in the Programme Regulation. In parallel, the Commission is working on preparing the tender specifications for setting up swiftly the Secure Connectivity system.
Welcome to IRIS², Europe's new Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnection & Security by Satellites I Blog of Commissioner Thierry Breton
The framework defined today is very clear:
IRIS² will be a sovereign constellation, which imposes strict eligibility criteria and security requirements.
IRIS² will be a constellation focused on government services, including defence applications.
IRIS² will provide connectivity to the whole of Europe, including areas that do not currently benefit from broadband Internet, as well as to the whole of Africa, using the constellation's North-South orbits.
IRIS² will be a "new space" constellation the European way, integrating the know-how of the major European space industries - but also the dynamism of our start-ups, who will build 30% of the infrastructure.
IRIS² will be a constellation at the cutting edge of technology, to give Europe a lead, for example in quantum encryption. It will therefore be a vector of innovation.
IRIS² will be a multi-orbit constellation, capable of creating synergies with our existing Galileo and Copernicus constellations. The objective here is to reduce the risk of space congestion.
IRIS² lifts off as European Commission and SpaceRISE sign contract in Brussels
Brussels, 16 December 2024 -- SpaceRISE, the consortium comprising Eutelsat, Hispasat and SES, has signed the agreement with the European Commission (EC) and the European Space Agency (ESA) that will see the consortium design, deliver and operate the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²) for a period of 12 years. The contract was signed today in a ceremony at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels.
With the network of 290 new Low Earth Orbit and Medium Earth Orbit satellites expected to provide services by the beginning of 2030, the IRIS² constellation of satellites for a resilient, interconnected and secure Europe is an EU flagship initiative.
Under the agreement with SpaceRISE, the project will be backed by €6.5 billion of public funds representing nearly 60% of the total project costs – comprising funding from the European Commission, EU Member States, the European Space Agency and private financing from the consortium members.
The European Union is accelerating and reinforcing IRIS²
On 7 August 2026, the European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium concluded negotiations which began in January 2026 and signed an implementation agreement to roll out Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²). The agreement expands the main constellation to 348 satellites and moves IRIS² from planning to full-scale deployment. It confirms the timetable for developing and deploying the satellites, procuring launch services, building the secure ground segment, and providing connectivity services.
The expanded constellation will comprise 330 satellites in higher Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and 18 in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), launched in successive phases, with additional optional elements which can be deployed to support specific missions if required. The revised schedule brings the first launches forward to 2029 and enables the early delivery of sovereign, secure, and accredited European connectivity services soon after.
Constellation reinforced for defence and security
To respond to a changing security environment, the European Commission is expanding IRIS² governmental capacity beyond what was originally planned. To provide additional functionalities and stronger security, the design of satellites in the baseline constellation will be enhanced and an advanced set of of 66 satellites in higher LEO will be added for defence, security, and emergency services.
Together, these changes will expand the secure communications available to governmental and defence users. The revised architecture will provide 60% more secure governmental capacity within the EU and 54% worldwide, significantly expanding Europe’s ability to support operations during crises.
