The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed a contract to build the IRIS2 satellite communication network, aiming to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
The cost of the 12-year contract amounts to $11 billion and involves launching 290 IRIS (Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite) communication satellites into low and medium Earth orbit by 2030 using European rockets, notes the Financial Times.
The IRIS2 constellation will be built on the foundation of two other EU satellite constellations: the Galileo navigation system and the Copernicus scientific program, which provides continuous monitoring of Earth’s condition.
This European competitor to Starlink will provide secure connections for government bodies, as well as private companies and European citizens, ensuring high-speed internet in dead zones.
The EU will directly provide $6 billion in funding, more than $550 million will come from the ESA, and the rest will be covered by the private sector. The European Space Agency is collaborating with the European Commission through SpaceRISE, an industrial consortium led by European satellite operators SES, Eutelsat, and Hispasat, with participation from Deutsche Telekom, Airbus, and Thales.
According to Space.com, as of November 2024, there are 6,764 Starlink satellites in orbit.
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