Commission and SpaceRISE Sign IRIS² Satellite Constellation Implementation Agreement

The European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium concluded negotiations and signed the 'Rendezvous 1' implementation agreement to roll out IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite), the EU's sovereign satellite-connectivity programme conceived as a European answer to Starlink. The agreement adds 66 satellites to the programme, expanding the main constellation to 348 satellites (330 in higher Low Earth Orbit, 18 in Medium Earth Orbit), and moves the project from planning into full-scale deployment with European Space Agency support. IRIS² will deliver secure, encrypted connectivity for EU government, defence and emergency services; first satellite launches are scheduled for 2029.