The European Commission plans to create an analogue of Starlink and Kuiper

The European Commission announced plans for the implementation and management of the European satellite system for secure communication IRIS².

For this purpose, a concession agreement was concluded on October 31, 2024 with the SpaceRise consortium, which will develop the satellite system. Thus, the European Union seeks to reduce dependence on American companies such as Starlink from SpaceX and Kuiper from Amazon.

The SpaceRise consortium received a 12-year concession for the creation and operation of the IRIS system. It includes 3 leading European operators of satellite networks: SES SA, Eutelsat SA and Hispasat SA.

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To implement the project, the consortium involved key European contractors in the field of satellite communications, such as Thales Alenia Space, OHB, Airbus Defense and Space, Telespazio, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Hisdesat and Thales SIX.

The project envisages the production of 290 satellites by 2030, which will provide services for government and institutional clients, as well as the private sector and European citizens.

Financing will be carried out through joint efforts — private investments of the SpaceRise consortium, which will amount to 3 to 4 billion euros, and public investments from the European Union and the European Space Agency (ESA), the total amount of which will be about 6 billion euros. Additional funds may be allocated after 2027, subject to the approval of a new EU financial program. The official signing of the contract is scheduled for December 2024.