The European Commission has approved a detailed implementation plan for the EU’s sovereign IRIS² satellite broadband service and signed agreements with manufacturers, the ESA and partners. The constellation will expand to 348 LEO satellites—66 more than initially planned—to boost defence, security and emergency-response capabilities, with initial launches expected in 2029 and a phased service rollout from that year. IRIS² prioritizes secure government communications during crises but will later serve businesses and citizens in underserved areas. The programme emphasizes European sovereignty and resilience rather than scale comparable to commercial constellations like Starlink.
Europe Finalizes ‘Sovereign’ IRIS² Plan — A Secure, Smaller Starlink Alternative
European Space Agency
The European Commission has approved a detailed implementation plan for IRIS², the EU’s sovereign satellite broadband service, and has signed agreements with European manufacturers, the European Space Agency (ESA) and other partners. The move pushes the programme beyond planning and toward full deployment, with preparations now focused on satellite construction, ground infrastructure and launch arrangements.
Constellation Expanded to 348 Satellites
Under the agreement, partner manufacturers committed to build and deliver more satellites than originally planned. IRIS² will consist of 348 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites—66 more than the project’s initial target. According to the ESA, the expanded fleet will strengthen capabilities for defence, security and emergency-response missions.
“This reinforcement will increase secure governmental capacity by 60 percent within the EU and 54 percent globally, while significantly expanding Europe's ability to support critical missions during crises,” the ESA said.
Schedule, Use Cases and Comparison
The Commission and its partners expect to launch the first satellites in 2029 and to roll out services progressively from that year. IRIS² is designed primarily to provide secure, reliable connectivity for government users across the EU and participating countries such as Norway and Iceland — especially during emergency response, humanitarian operations and border surveillance. The network is intended to be available later to businesses and citizens in underserved or hard-to-reach areas where terrestrial networks are unreliable or unavailable.
By scale, IRIS² remains much smaller than SpaceX’s Starlink, which operates more than 10,000 active satellites. But IRIS²’s focus is sovereignty and secured governmental communications rather than a mass-market global commercial broadband offering.
Funding, Pricing and Next Steps
The partners also finalized target pricing and the expected investments from private operators as part of the implementation agreement. Upcoming phases include finalizing the detailed satellite designs, commencing manufacturing preparations, and securing launch services and ground infrastructure contracts ahead of the planned 2029 launches.
Why it matters: IRIS² gives the EU a dedicated, resilient satellite communications capability for critical public missions and crises, strengthening Europe’s technological independence while offering future commercial and public benefits for underserved regions.
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