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Europe expands its sovereign Starlink rival to 348 satellites
Europe’s IRIS² satellite network expands to 348 spacecraft, with first launches planned for 2029 and services aimed at secure government connectivity.
Image: Engadget
Europe has moved its IRIS² satellite network from planning toward deployment, signing an implementation agreement with European manufacturers, the European Space Agency (ESA), and other partners after negotiations that began in January.
The agreement confirms the constellation’s detailed design, satellite construction plans, ground infrastructure, launch services, target pricing, and private-sector investment. It also expands the planned network to 348 satellites in low Earth orbit, up from the original design by 66 satellites.
IRIS² expands its security role
According to the ESA, the additional spacecraft will strengthen IRIS²'s capabilities for defense, security, and emergency services. The agency says the larger constellation will increase secure governmental capacity by 60% within the European Union and 54% globally, while expanding Europe’s ability to support critical missions during crises.
“This reinforcement will increase secure governmental capacity by 60 percent within the EU and 54 percent globally, while significantly expanding Europe’s ability to support critical missions during crises,”
The European Commission and its partners plan to launch the first satellites in 2029, with services deploying progressively from the same year. IRIS² is intended primarily for secure, reliable communications for EU governments and participating countries including Norway and Iceland.
Its initial use cases include emergency response, humanitarian aid, border surveillance, and other critical operations. The network is also expected to become available to businesses and citizens in locations where terrestrial networks are unavailable or unreliable.
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Smaller than Starlink, aimed at a different job
IRIS² will be tiny beside SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, which has more than 10,000 active satellites. Starlink was designed from the outset as a large commercial broadband network, while IRIS² is being built first around government connectivity and resilience.
That makes the comparison less about matching Starlink’s scale and more about reducing Europe’s dependence on a private US network for sensitive communications. The project’s newly finalized pricing is notable, but the reporting does not disclose the actual figures, and it also gives no breakdown of the private operators' investment. Until those details emerge, IRIS² looks like a strategic sovereign communications system with a future consumer role—not a like-for-like commercial replacement for Starlink.
Culture Editor
Maya explores gaming, streaming, and the internet as a place where people actually live. From deep-dives into creator economies to the anthropology of digital communities, she tracks platform drama and cultural shifts so you don't have to. She believes the best tech stories are fundamentally about human behavior.
via Engadget
