What is IRIS²?
Under the overall responsibility of the European Commission, IRIS² is Europe’s initiative to build a secure and resilient space-based connectivity network. In these challenging times, its aim is to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy by providing reliable connectivity and reducing dependence on external systems.
ESA acts on behalf of the European Commission as the qualification and validation authority for the governmental infrastructure of the EU's Secure Connectivity Programme. It manages development and validation contracts supporting the initial space and ground segments, verifies end-to-end system, service, and security performance against EC requirements, and coordinates these activities with ESA’s own programme.
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Latest News
The leopard behind ESA Low-LEO: Future-proofing Europe's secure connectivity
Europe’s secure connectivity infrastructure must be ready to evolve alongside the needs it serves. The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Low-LEO component is designed to make this possible by exploring, demonstrating and validating future services and associated capabilities before they become part of the operational system of IRIS², the EU’s Secure Connectivity Programme.
ESA starts next phase of IRIS² evolution through Low-LEO activities
The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed 18 consolidation contracts bringing together nearly 80 companies to study new secure and resilient connectivity services. The contracts also cover associated mission concepts and aim to shape the future of the EU's secure connectivity constellation – IRIS² – which will provide Europeans with resilient communications, when and where it matters most.
IRIS² reinforced and accelerated as implementation advances
On 7 August, the European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium concluded negotiations and signed an implementation agreement to roll out IRIS², the European Union’s new flagship satellite constellation. The agreement, among other things, adds 66 satellites into low Earth orbit to the programme, bringing the main constellation to 348 satellites, and moving it from planning to full-scale deployment with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA).
ESA to support the development of EU’s secure communication satellites system
A multi-orbit constellation of about 300 satellites that will deliver resilient, secure and fast communications for EU governments, European companies and citizens will be put in orbit after two contracts were confirmed today in Brussels.