The European Commission (EU) and European Space Agency signed contracts with an industrial consortium to develop Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²) with a total cost of 10.6 billion euros ($11.1 billion).

It is EU’s third major space infrastructure project, following Galileo navigation system and Copernicus. Copernicus and Galileo are the world’s largest Earth observation programme and the world’s most accurate civilian satellite-navigation system, respectively

About IRIS²

It is a multi-orbit satellite internet constellation initiated by the European Union to offer connectivity services to governmental users as well as private companies and individuals by 2027.

It comprises constellation of 290 Medium Earth Orbit and Low Earth Orbit satellites to provide secure connectivity and high-speed broadband in zones where network connectivity is low or unavailable.

It aims to address long-term challenges related to security, safety, and resilience, providing enhanced communication capacities to meet pressing future demands.

Development: Developed with the support of the European Space Agency and SpaceRISE, an alliance of leading European satellite operators and space companies.

Services offered: It will provide secure connectivity and high-speed broadband in zones where network connectivity is low or unavailable. It will also support government applications like border surveillance, crisis management etc.

Other such Projects: Elon Musk’s Starlink Project (comprises about 7000 low earth orbit satellites). Instead of deploying thousands of satellites like Starlink, IRIS² interlinked satellites in low and medium Earth orbits respectively will enable it to offer secure high-speed internet connectivity without needing thousands of satellites