It is intended to provide service to governmental agencies as well as commercial service to private entities. Its conception is a direct response to an increasing number of large satellite internet constellations outside of the control of the EU, such as Starlink, OneWeb or the forthcoming Kuiper project.[4] The total cost of the programme is estimated at €6 billion,[5][6][7][8][9] to which the European Union itself will contribute €2.4 billion from 2022 until 2027.[10][11]
In addition to its use for communications, there are also plans to use IRIS² for space surveillance, and to detect high-altitude spy balloons.[12]
IRIS² is part of an overall EU space strategy that will include the forthcoming EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence.[13]
History
The project was first announced by the Council of the EU in November 2022.[1] A single multi-national industrial consortium, including Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space and Arianespace among others, is expected to carry it out.[14][15] The constellation is expected to be launched by European rockets such as the upcoming Ariane 6. The latter's first launch, initially scheduled for the end of the year 2022, is expected to take place in summer 2024 after several delays.[16][17][18] In case of further hiccups, foreign contractors, namely SpaceX, may be considered. Ariane 6's first launch ultimately took place on 9 July 2024.[19][20][21][22]
In January 2024, it was reported European space giants were putting the final touches on a common proposal for the sovereign broadband constellation amid the looming mid-February deadline to submit their best and final offer to the European Commission.[23] The contract was originally scheduled to be awarded by the end of March but the European Commission appears to have put it on hold. At a meeting of an EU parliamentary committee on April 9 2024, EU commissioner for the internal market, Thierry Breton, stated the commission was still working on finalizing the contract without providing an estimate regarding when it would be completed.[24]
