The European Commission has closed negotiations on IRIS², the EU’s planned satellite internet network, expanding it to 348 satellites. The first satellite is due to launch by the end of 2029.
DR reports that the Commission has concluded talks on a new constellation of internet satellites intended to reduce Europe’s reliance on Elon Musk’s Starlink technology. The agreement raises the planned number of satellites to 348, which is 66 more than the Commission originally announced.
According to the Commission, IRIS² is meant to deliver internet access to the most remote corners of the European continent. The system is designed for military users and emergency services, which can rely on the satellites during forest fires and other crises in areas without coverage. The Commission also expects ordinary Europeans in remote regions to gain access in the future.
Michael Linden-Vørnle, an astrophysicist at DTU Space, told DR that the project is fundamentally about Europe’s autonomy agenda, primarily independence from the United States. He noted that IRIS² is built differently from Starlink, with satellites in both low and medium Earth orbit. Starlink satellites typically sit only in low Earth orbit and therefore cover smaller areas.
Signed agreement moves program into deployment
The European Space Agency reported that the Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium signed the implementation agreement on August 7, 2026, moving the program from planning into full-scale deployment. ESA stated that the future constellation will consist of 330 satellites in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit. It also noted that participating countries include Norway and Iceland.
SpaceNews reported that the 66 added satellites go into the high-LEO shell, and that the Commission did not publish a revised cost estimate. Per the same report, the Spanish operator Hispasat said the project would now cost 15.6 billion euros. DR notes that the Commission has signaled rising costs and that budget negotiations are underway.
Musk’s Starlink operates the world’s largest satellite constellation, with more than 6,750 satellites in orbit, according to DR. Linden-Vørnle said the war in Ukraine shows that Europe has fallen behind in the satellite race. Starlink has handled communications at the front line, while the American company Maxar Technologies supplied surveillance images to Ukrainian security services.
Maxar suspended Ukrainian access to some of its satellite imagery last year, after Donald Trump decided to halt the sharing of American intelligence data with Ukraine. Musk has periodically been one of Trump’s closest allies and led the administration’s efficiency unit, known as DOGE. Linden-Vørnle said Europe has recognized that it must be able to manage on its own.
