The European Commission (EC), the European Space Agency (ESA) and other stakeholders such as Europe’s investing nations might be confused as to how the massive IRIS2 multi-tiered satellite constellation is to be funded.

The complex private/public partnership is being managed – and part-financed – by the SpaceRISE consortium of satellite operators SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat. The consortium is expecting a return on their investments (ROI) of at least 10 per cent.

However, a news story in Space Intel Report strongly suggests that there is confusion amongst the EC, ESA and the European Union for the Space Programme (EUSPA) as to where the responsibilities for running the scheme will lay and how fees for governmental usage will be levied.

While few could argue for low-cost access to the super-secure satellite system for those governments which have stumped up billions in hard cash to see the project financed, the calculation of the fee structure for non-governmental use will be a key element for the consortium.

IRIS2 “is designed to support government and defence users. We have to work with defence communities to agree on ConOps [concept of operations] and the procedures that have to be discussed,” said Ekaterini Kavvada, director of secure and connected space at the Commission’s Defence and Space Directorate, DG-Defis and quoted by SIR.

Kavvada added that IRIS2 is expected to be free for the governments which have paid for the system.

The project is expected to cost some €11 billion.

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Categories: Blogs, Inside Satellite, Satellite

Tags: iris2, Space