In the next few days European officials will decide – and approve – how the IRIS2 project’s structure is constructed and its various constituent parts and responsibilities allocated.

The key elements of the project are under the umbrella of the SpaceRise consortium which comprises SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat, each of which has a designated responsibility. The initial outline contract was initialled in December 2024.

Final details are now emerging which suggest that the SpaceRise group will enjoy a 12-year operational concession. SpaceRise will invest up to €4.4 billion, with the European Commission and the European Space Agency putting in about €6.5 billion.

Luxembourg-based SES will itself invest some €1.8 billion and supply 18 medium Earth orbiting satellites. SES will be building the payloads for IRIS2, and echoing similar decisions made by SES for its meoSphere 28-craft fleet.

IRIS2’s important low Earth orbiting shell of 10-20 satellites is being managed by Hispasat and at a likely cost of about €600 million.

The mid-Earth element of 264-satellitesoperaating at 1200 kms is under Eutelsat’s supervision

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Categories: Articles, Broadband, Satellite

Tags: europe, Hispasat, iris2, SES