The EU will develop the IRIS2 communication satellite system

On December 17th, Jinshi Data News, the European Space Agency announced on its official website on the 16th that the European Union will develop the IRIS2 communication satellite system to enhance the EU's autonomy and security in the communication network. The IRIS2 system is the EU's third flagship satellite program, following the Earth observation system 'Copernicus Program' and the Galileo satellite navigation system. The European Commission signed a 12-year franchise contract worth 106 billion euros with the system's design and operation entity, SpaceRISE consortium, with the European Commission contributing 60 billion euros, the European Space Agency contributing 5.5 billion euros, and the private sector contributing over 40 billion euros. It is reported that the IRIS2 system consists of 290 satellites, with 272 in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit, along with related ground facilities, forming an autonomous and multi-tasking satellite constellation, expected to begin service in early 2030.