Europe’s answer to Starlink just cleared its biggest hurdle. On August 7, the European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium signed the implementation agreement for the IRIS2 satellite constellation. That moves the EU’s sovereign secure connectivity network from planning to full-scale deployment.
From planning to deployment
The deal adds 66 satellites to low Earth orbit. That brings the main constellation to 348 spacecraft: 330 in LEO and 18 in medium Earth orbit. First launches are targeted for 2029. The European Space Agency oversees development, qualification, and in-orbit validation. Negotiations began in January and concluded on August 6. They locked in design, capacity, schedule, target price, and private investment.
Why Europe wants its own network
IRIS2 is not a consumer broadband play. Instead, it serves governments, defence and security forces, emergency services, and critical infrastructure. Starlink showed how vital satellite links become when ground networks fail. Ukraine’s war-damaged cell towers and hurricane-hit regions both made the lesson clear. However, Starlink belongs to an American company outside EU control. So Europe wants an autonomous alternative for crises. Meanwhile, rivals keep advancing: Starlink keeps shipping lighter, smarter hardware, and Amazon Leo already fields hundreds of satellites.
A reinforced constellation
The extra 66 satellites specifically strengthen defence, security, and emergency connectivity. The Commission says the reinforced architecture increases secure governmental capacity by 60% inside the EU and 54% globally. Member states are putting real money behind it. Poland committed 656 million euros, Hungary 500 million, and Spain announced 1.6 to 2 billion. Funding also draws on EU budget resources for 2028 to 2034.
On the industrial side, SpaceRISE members SES, Eutelsat, and Hispasat lead the build. They team up with Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space, OHB, and Aerospacelab. Norway and Iceland already participate, and the programme reserves room for start-ups and smaller suppliers.
Still years behind Starlink
So the political will is now concrete, but the hardware is not. First launches in 2029 remain a target, not a service date. The 60% capacity figures are also the Commission’s own projections. Commissioner Andrius Kubilius framed it as resilient, autonomous connectivity for the crises of the future. Until then, Europe’s secure communications still depend on someone else’s satellites.
