EU Finalizes 348-Satellite IRIS² Network for 2029 Launch as Europe Pushes Communications Independence
Updated
Updated · Jalopnik · Aug 8
EU Finalizes 348-Satellite IRIS² Network for 2029 Launch as Europe Pushes Communications Independence
3 articles · Updated · Jalopnik · Aug 8
Summary
Starting in 2029, the EU’s IRIS² system will deploy 66 new satellites, bringing the constellation to 348 across low- and medium-Earth orbits for secure government and military communications.
The bloc is positioning IRIS² as a sovereign backup to critical networks, arguing Europe cannot rely solely on U.S.-linked or commercial operators such as Starlink for wartime or emergency connectivity.
SpaceRISE — a consortium of SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat — will run the public-private project, with commercial sales allowed but public-sector and defense users expected to take priority.
330 satellites will operate in low-Earth orbit and 18 in medium-Earth orbit, giving the system both dense coverage and added redundancy as Europe builds broader independent space capabilities.