Europe has taken a decisive step toward a satellite internet network of its own. The European Commission on Friday signed an agreement with the SpaceRISE consortium to expand the IRIS² constellation by 66 satellites in low Earth orbit, bringing the main constellation to 348 satellites and moving the program 'from planning to full-scale deployment,' the Commission said.

IRIS² — Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite — is the EU's answer to Elon Musk's Starlink and other private internet constellations. The expanded network comprises 330 satellites in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit, and is designed to deliver what the Commission calls 'sovereign, secure and highly reliable connectivity' for European governments, defence and security forces and emergency services — a key argument for keeping critical communications infrastructure under European control.

The constellation is scheduled to begin operating in 2029, with ESA supporting the implementation. The expansion comes amid mounting European concerns about dependence on US-owned space infrastructure, and at a moment when several governments in the region are rethinking how essential digital services are delivered. The added satellites also strengthen the program's hand against an increasingly crowded field of commercial broadband constellations.

Sources