SpaceRISE Members Clarify Roles as IRIS² Moves to Deployment Phase

The European Commission and SpaceRISE have finalized the first major implementation milestone for IRIS², moving Europe’s sovereign multi-orbit satellite connectivity programme from design into industrial deployment.

The updated architecture now comprises 348 satellites, including 330 in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit. The programme is designed to provide secure connectivity for EU governments, defence and security users, emergency services and critical infrastructure, while also supporting commercial broadband, mobility and future 5G NTN services.

The RDV1 implementation agreement clarifies how responsibilities will be split between the three SpaceRISE consortium operators. Eutelsat will lead the main LEO segment, drawing on its OneWeb experience to support design, deployment and operation of the next-generation LEO infrastructure. The LEO layer will include advanced capabilities such as 5G NTN support, beamforming, optical inter-satellite links and resilient capacity routing.

Hispasat will lead the ground segment and the specialized Low-LEO component, including infrastructure relevant to future direct-to-device and satellite IoT services. Its role includes more than €1.6 billion of ground infrastructure covering antenna sites, control systems and terrestrial network integration, creating the secure foundation needed to support IRIS² across multiple orbital layers.

SES will lead the MEO segment, user terminals, Operations & Services activities and integrated LEO/MEO service provisioning. The company plans to deploy 18 next-generation MEO satellites, develop pilot terminals and operate governmental control centres, making it a central service-delivery and network-integration partner within the programme.

The industrial supply chain includes Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space, OHB and Aerospacelab, alongside wider participation from European SMEs, mid-caps and startups. First satellite launches are targeted from 2029, with initial operational services expected from 2030 and broader commercial LEO capability planned for the early 2030s.

Funding will combine public and private investment. The overall programme is valued at around €15.6 billion, with SpaceRISE operators expected to contribute up to €4 billion and the European Commission, ESA, Member States and participating countries providing the remainder. Poland, Hungary and Spain have already announced significant national contributions.

The milestone gives IRIS² a much clearer industrial shape. Rather than a single government satellite project, the programme is emerging as a European multi-orbit NTN ecosystem spanning LEO, Low LEO, MEO, secure ground infrastructure, user terminals, D2D and IoT capabilities.

For Europe, IRIS² is intended to strengthen strategic autonomy in space-based communications while reducing reliance on non-European commercial constellations. For the NTN market, it creates a major long-term platform for standards-based satellite-terrestrial integration, secure mobility, resilient government connectivity and future 6G-era services.