IRIS² Satellite Constellation by European Commission: status and timeline

IRIS² Satellite Constellation

Provide EU strategic autonomy in space-based communications independent of third-party providers, supporting government, defense, emergency services, and commercial users.

ProtoStage 2 of 5

Implementation agreement signed August 2026. First launches 2029; full service 2031. 348 satellites.

Updated 6 Aug 2026Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · First satellite launches begin

IRIS² program formally launched2022Complete.
Implementation agreement negotiations concludeAug 2026Complete.
First satellite launches beginTarget 2029Not yet reached.
Operational connectivity services beginTarget Q4 2029Not yet reached.
Full constellation deployment and serviceTarget 2031Not yet reached.

Most important, last 3 months

Commission and SpaceRISE finalize IRIS² constellation: 348 satellites, €15.6B+, launches 20296 Aug 2026

Upcoming

2029First satellite launches begin (next)
Q4 2029Operational connectivity services begin
2031Full constellation deployment and service

Current obstacles

Massive integration and logistics risk348 satellites, hundreds of subsystems. Schedule slips or launch delays could defer service by years.
Commercial constellation competitionStarlink, Amazon Kuiper already deploying. IRIS² must offer security, government priority, EU control to justify cost.
Political and budget pressure€15.6B+ is significant. Cost overruns or delays risk political backlash and funding challenges.

Physics limits

Satellite bandwidth is finiteEven 348 satellites have limited total bandwidth. Peak demand may cause congestion, a problem faced by traditional networks too.
LEO constellation management complexityLEO satellites move quickly; ground segment must hand off between stations reliably across Europe. Complex control and routing logic needed.

How it works

4 parts

Multi-orbit design

LEO, MEO, and optional supplementary satellites

330 LEO for global coverage (<100 ms latency), 18 MEO for high-capacity links. Optional 66 supplementary enhance defence and security.

Government priority

EU/NATO secure capacity

IRIS² reserves capacity for governments, defense, emergency services. Ensures EU strategic autonomy.

Commercial revenue

Dual-use sales model

SpaceRISE sells capacity to telecom operators, ISPs, enterprises. Commercial revenue offsets program costs.

Industrial base

European manufacturing

Satellites and ground stations built by Airbus, Thales, OHB, Aerospacelab, and EU suppliers. Protects European capability.

Spec sheet

Spec	IRIS² Satellite Constellation
Total constellation	348 satellites^R (reported)
Low Earth orbit	330^R (reported)
Medium Earth orbit	18^R (reported)
Optional supplementary satellites	66^R (reported)
Total investment	€15.6+ billion^R (reported)
Hispasat contract	€1.6+ billion^R (reported)
Secure capacity increase	60% EU / 54% global^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

1 update

Thu 6 Aug

Major: Commission and SpaceRISE finalize IRIS² constellation: 348 satellites, €15.6B+, launches 2029PressRegulatory

About European Commission

The team behind IRIS² Satellite Constellation

European Commission

EU Digital Identity, IRIS² satellites, age verification

European Commission is the EU's executive branch. It develops EU Digital Identity Wallet (privacy-preserving credentials by end-2026) and IRIS² satellite constellation (348 satellites, launches 2029).

EU Digital Identity Wallet rolling to member states by Dec 2026; privacy-preserving credentials.
IRIS² constellation: 348 satellites (330 LEO + 18 MEO), launches 2029, service 2031. €15.6B+ investment.
Zero-knowledge-proof age verification: users verify age without exposing name, ID, or photo by end-2026.

commission.europa.eu (opens commission.europa.eu)Company profile →

Founded: 195868 yrs
Headquarters: Belgium
Status: Government
Valuation: government
Raised: $16B1 round
Last round: EU Budget IRIS² allocation · $16B2026
Works in: CryptoIdentity & walletsSpaceflight
Coverage: 3 programs · 5 updateslatest 6 Aug 2026checked 11 Oct
Partners: Eutelsat (opens eutelsat.com)SES (opens ses.com)Hispasat (opens hispasat.com)Airbus Defence and Space (opens airbus.com)Thales Alenia Space (opens thalesaleniaspace.com)
People: Ursula von der Leyen (opens commission.europa.eu)President of the European CommissionKaja Kallas (opens commission.europa.eu)VP High Representative, Foreign Affairs Security

Spec

IRIS² Satellite Constellation

Total constellation

348 satellites^R (reported)

Low Earth orbit

330^R (reported)

Medium Earth orbit

18^R (reported)

Optional supplementary satellites

66^R (reported)

Total investment

€15.6+ billion^R (reported)

Hispasat contract

€1.6+ billion^R (reported)

Secure capacity increase

60% EU / 54% global^R (reported)