by The European Union will launch its own satellite communications constellation.
On February 14, the European Parliament approved the proposal for the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnection and Security by Satellites (IRISS) constellation.
The almost unanimous decision was supported by 603 votes in favor with only six votes against. The project’s approval follows SpaceX’s high-profile role Starlink communications satellites in support of the defense of Ukraine, with the Russian invasion Highlighting the need for secure, sovereign European capabilities.
Related: 10 Weird Things About SpaceX’s Starlink Internet Satellites
IRISS will see the launch of up to building a multi-orbital connectivity infrastructure 170 satellites between 2025 and 2027 to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and further assets to Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and geostationary orbits.
“IRISS will soon join its peers Galileo And Copernicus and complement (sic) them by providing sovereign, secure, resilient and cost-effective seamless communication services with initial services by 2024 and full operational capacity by 2027,” reads a opinion (opens in new tab) by the Directorate-General for Defense Industry and Space (DEFIS) of the EU Commission.
The constellation will focus on government services, including defense applications, and will provide broadband connectivity across Europe, including the current connection dead zones, as well as across Africa.
It will also build on the development of European capabilities such as Quantum Encryption Satellites and new disruptive technologies. It will benefit both major players in the European space industry and start-ups.
Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, said in a opinion (opens in new tab) that the vote “marks a historic turning point for the strategic autonomy, digital sovereignty and competitiveness of the EU.
“Russian military aggression against Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of space-based sovereign and secure communications services in the event of a conflict,” Breton added. “It’s also a game changer for EU citizens, thanks to the development of high-speed broadband that eliminates communication dead zones and strengthens the (EU)’s cohesion policy.”
The European Parliament has earmarked 2.4 billion euros ($2.53 billion) for the project. The European Space Agency and the private sector will also contribute.
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