IRIS²: Europe Builds Its Own Satellite Network

The European Union is developing a 348-satellite communications network for governments, companies and citizens. Its stated aim is to provide secure connections and close mobile coverage gaps in Europe and Africa. IRIS² would give European institutions and critical services a satellite system of their own, as questions grow over reliance on commercial services run by companies outside Europe.

The European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium agreed on implementation in early August. The plan calls for 330 satellites in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit. Another 66 satellites are intended to strengthen defence, security and emergency services.

A European communications system

Commission calculations project a 60 percent increase in secured capacity for public-sector users in the EU and a 54 percent increase worldwide. The network will focus on states, the military and critical services. Private individuals are expected to gain access later, too.

Encryption will rely on quantum technology through EuroQCI, the European quantum communication infrastructure. IRIS² stands for “Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite”; in German, it roughly means infrastructure for resilience, connectivity and security via satellites.

The first satellites are scheduled to launch in 2029. Initial services are due to start gradually from 2029 or 2030. Whether the schedule holds remains an open question.

Germany’s role includes Bremen-based space company Orbitale Hochtechnologie Bremen (OHB). On 31 August, OHB signed a contract worth just under €1 billion with satellite operator SES for 18 IRIS² satellites in medium Earth orbit. Each weighs around 2.6 tonnes at launch. OHB chief executive Marco Fuchs called the programme an important step towards greater European independence.

Disputes have already erupted over German industry’s share of the project. In December 2023, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs sent companies involved a strongly worded letter demanding urgent clarification of German industry’s participation and its share in value creation, the Frankfurter Rundschau daily reported.

Belgian company Aerospacelab is building 264 low-orbit satellites. Founded in 2018 and based in Charleroi, the company says the order is worth €2.4 billion, with delivery due by 2030. A new factory in Charleroi is planned to build up to 500 satellites a year from 2027. Airbus is building at least 66 satellites in the first layer for military communication, due to be ready in 2029. The entire low-orbit segment of 330 satellites has been allocated.

Launch capacity remains uncertain

Europe is counting on Ariane 6 to carry satellites into orbit. The rocket has launched since 2024, but experts see launch capacity as a bottleneck. Andreas Knopp of the Bundeswehr University Munich told the weekly paper Das Parlament that launch numbers are limited. Political scientist Antje Nötzold of TU Chemnitz described a “launcher problem” to MDR.

Ariane 6 has launched four times so far this year, including three flights carrying satellites for Amazon Leo, the US company’s satellite internet service intended to compete with Starlink. Amazon has booked at least 18 Ariane 6 launches. In early August, the Commission named procurement of launch services for IRIS² as one of the next steps.

Germany’s separate military network

Questions about commercial dependence have sharpened after the Ukrainian army reported Starlink restrictions this week. Connections drop when receivers travel faster than 160 kilometres per hour, as drones do. The service was initially restored in part, but an upper limit remained. Nobody has clarified who ordered the restriction. SpaceX boss Elon Musk denied that the company ordered the shutdown, writing on X that Starshield is under the direct control of the US government.

Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski wrote on X: “Hey, Elon Musk, you big man, are you once again playing politics with your products? As your European customers we are keeping a close eye on you.” Poland has paid for a large share of the Ukrainian terminals.

Separately, the Bundeswehr is planning SATCOMBw 4, a national satellite network financed by the federal government. The plan calls for a constellation similar to Starlink, but smaller, with initial coverage intended for NATO’s eastern flank under national control. Major General Armin Fleischmann, the Bundeswehr’s space commissioner in the Cyber and Information Domain, told MDR that individual components would come from Western partners, including the United States. He told the Handelsblatt business newspaper that they wanted to have “flying Fritzboxes” in space.

At full expansion, SATCOMBw 4 is to comprise a three-digit number of low-Earth-orbit satellites and cost between eight and ten billion euros. An initial partial constellation of up to 40 satellites is scheduled to be operational in 2029, with full operations planned from 2030. In September 2025, defence minister Boris Pistorius announced that €35 billion would be invested in military space projects by 2030.

The Bremen-based joint venture “OHB Rheinmetall Space Networks” is bidding for the Bundeswehr contract. OHB would handle satellites and Rheinmetall ground stations and end devices, according to company information. No decision has been made. Industry reports suggest an award could come around the turn of the year, while insiders consider early 2027 possible.