IRIS2 will be used by governments and emergency services to respond during emergencies, the bloc said.
Europe is strengthening its sovereign space capabilities with 66 new satellites as part of a new flagship constellation in collaboration with a consortium consisting of Airbus, Deutsche Telekom and Eutelsat.
The new additions will bring the upcoming IRIS2 constellation to 348 satellites and boost secure governmental capacity by 60pc in the EU. First launches are scheduled to begin by 2029.
The constellation will help the EU reduce its reliance on US space-tech – dominated by SpaceX’s Starlink services – enabling emergency services across the bloc to respond to crises and protect essential infrastructure using its own systems. The expanded system will also offer business opportunities for commercial users, the Commission said.
IRIS2 is targeting a budget of more than €15.6bn, drawing additional funding for the expansion through its upcoming budget, as well as from member states and other countries. Poland and Hungry have committed more than €1bn collectively, while Spain has announced funds of between €1.6bn and €2bn alone.
